One Piece: Bloodline
by kilnorc
Summary: Dusty Wenata has always been seen as a ditzy, hyperactive girl who ate the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Kitsune. But when the crew comes to an island ruled by powerful people, Dusty shows the gang a side and a terrible secret that they've never knew before.
1. Prologue

**One Piece: Bloodline **

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**Kilnorc: Alright, another arc of goodness from your friend, Kilnorc! Rock on, people!**

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**Prologue**

"Mmmm...man, that feels great!"

"Yeah, we don't get much time for sunbathing, do we?"

"Nope,"

"No, we do not,"

Dusty, Kirsty, Chizuru, and Niri lay the deck of the _Tomahawk_, enjoying the warm rays of the sun as it hung high in the sky above them. The Axe-Head pirates were back to be on the Blue Sea after the ride with the Sky Octopus, coming back down from Skypeia, where the homeland of Devon's and Austin's father was from.

The ride back down was a bit bumpy, and thanks to technical difficulties (Dusty screwing around with the octopus) they made a rough landing back on the Blue Sea. Now, the females of the crew were enjoying the lazy day while the males went about their business.

WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM

"Anyone wanna see if they can get Azu to stop doing that?" Kirsty asked, adjusting her sunglasses, "It's getting annoying,"

Chizuru shrugged, "It may be annoying, Kirsty, but his repairs to the ship are whats keeping us afloat,"

Niri growled as the hammering continued, then got up and walked to the stairwell leading down to the lower deck.

"Azu!" she shouted, "Take a break!"

"If I take a break, can I come up and join you guys?" the shipwright called from below.

Niri looked back at her friends, then down the stairs again, "Keep working on that!"

Chizuru giggled as Dusty rolled over onto her back, letting her tail get some air, "Feels kinda good to be back on the Blue Sea, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Niri walked over and laid back down on her towel, "Easier to breathe here then up there,"

Kirsty nodded, "Yeah. Say, that reminds me," she turned her head to her friend, "How's Sora doing?"

"Oh, he's doing just fine, why do you ask?"

"Well, he's from the Sky and I thought with the change in atmospheric pressure, he'd be having some difficulty adjusting to the pressure down here,"

Niri waved her off, "Aw, he's fine. Even better, he and Pingu became good friends so quickly!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, they're playing together right now," Niri giggled, "They're _so_ cute!"

-----

_"Hold still, Blue Boy!"_

_"Hey, what did I do!"_

_"You slept in Niri's bed! That spot is for me and me alone!"_

Sora weaved in and out between the chairs and table of the galley, Pingu right on his tail with a frying pan.

_"Get back here and take it like a man!"_

-----

"Hey, guys! Guys, a ship is coming!"

Niri groaned as DJ's voice from the crow's nest came down to them, "Dammit...can't catch a single minute of relaxation around here...," she stomped hard on the deck, "AZU! Get your ass up here, we got company!"

The sound of running footsteps was heard and soon, Azu ran out onto the deck...without his clothes on and the scent of liquor around him.

"I'M NAKED!" he screamed before running over and leaping over the side of the ship. A loud splash was heard, followed by, "WOW! THAT'S COLD!"

Niri, Dusty and Chizuru facefaulted.

"Alright, I'm gonna go gouge out my short term memory," Niri muttered, covering her eyes.

Dusty rose to her feet, "I'll come with ya,"

"Same here," Chizuru sat up and stretched, "Luckily Kirsty didn't see that,"

"Why do you say that?"

"Because she's asleep," Chizuru reached over and shook her friend gently, "C'mon, Kirsty, something's going down,"

Yawning, Kirsty sat up and scratched her head, "I'm up, I'm up...what I miss?"

"Well, for one thing, Azu streaked around the ship and jumped into the ocean," Niri explained as she went for her pistol nearby, "So, nothing out of the ordinary, really. But right now, a ship's coming around, so get ready for a fight,"

Kirsty yawned again and slapped herself awake, "You got it,"

After alerting everyone else, save Devon and Axe, who were still recovering from their injuries in the Sky Island fight earlier, Niri and the others watched as a large ship covered in metal and wood came into view. The tusk-like appendages on the front, the sail less masts covered with assorted weaponry and the black smoke puffing out of the roof was all too familiar to them.

"Aw crap...," Herman groaned, "It's the Sirens again!"

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**Kilnorc: WOOT! First chapter of the new arc! I must warn you though..the first part of this fic is...is...FILLER!!!**

**-horrified screams-**

**But, it's good filler because it has a certain pirate that is very odd that the fans should know very well! Mwahahaha!**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...  
**

**Niri: Where's the rest of the crew?**

**Shinatsu: I lost Kimeru and the triplets in some rigged games... **

**DJ: Ladies in trouble? DJ Macleod at your service!**

**Shinatsu: Please, if you can help me get them back, I'll gladly reward you!**

**The Story of the Davy Back Fight**

**Dusty: Oh boy...I think I know who took the girls. If I'm right, then we'll have to play against him!**

**BTW, the bit with Azu? Dragonball Z movie Abridged reference! **


	2. The Story of the Davy Back Fight

**The Story of the Davy Back Fight**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.**

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The Axe-Heads, or at least the ones who were able to come, stood firmly on the deck of the _Tomahawk_, waiting as the anchor of the _Nanatsu_ was dropped and a boarding ramp was deployed, the wooden planks clattering against their deck. Niri kept her hand hovering just above the pistol grip of her father's grip as Shinatsu and two of her crewmates came walking down the plank.

_Don't shoot, just hear them out. Don't shoot, just hear them out. Don't shoot, just hear them out..._ the former Marine thought as Shinatsu walked up to them. The monocle wearing brunette looked at the group, "Where's your Captain?" she asked, "Where's Axe?"

"He's resting," Niri said quickly, "He's recovering from a recent battle of his, so we speak in his place. What do you guys want, another fight?" she pointed to Herman, who had gauze stuffed into his ears, "Ain't gonna work this time, the call of the Sirens,"

Shinatsu shook her head, "Please, it's nothing like that. I've come to terms and made peace with Axe and our past incident. We need to speak with Axe, immediately if possible,".

Niri frowned and looked at the other two women. She recognized the tired looking one wearing a thick robe, and the dirty girl with a mane of long white hair. She nodded and began walking off, "Follow me...everyone, keep your eyes open,"

The brunette shook her head, "We're not here to cause trouble,"

"Excuse us if I don't believe you right off the bat," Niri muttered as they approached Axe's cabin. She knocked on the door, "Axe! You have a visitor!"

"Who is it?" Axe asked from the other side of the door.

"Axe...," Shinatsu called out, "It's me, Shinatsu! Listen, Axe, we really need to talk! Please, something's happened to my nakama and you're the only one I know who can help!"

"Help me, Cap'n Axe, you're my only hope," Niri cracked under her breath.

-----

After collecting Axe and Devon, the crew settled in the large dining room of the Tomahawk. Herman gave the young women a drink, save the now sleeping woman, who was now drooling on the table, snoring loudly.

Niri leaned against the wall as Shinatsu took a large drink of her beverage, "Where's the rest of your crew?" she asked evenly, "Are they on the ship, hurt?"

Shinatsu lowered her cup and shook her head, "No, they're gone,"

"Oh, so they're dead?"

Again, she shook her head, "They're just gone! I lost them,"

"Oh, is that all?" Dusty shrugged, "Where's the last place you had them?" she asked innocently, earning a smack upside the head from Devon, who got his own smack upside the head from Kirsty.

Shinatsu looked at the drink her hands, quiet for a few moments before taking a long breath, "I lost Kimeru and the Siren triplets. I lost them in some rigged games...,"

"Rigged games?" Axe repeated, "What kind of games?"

The brunette shook her head, "I was in over my head. I never even heard of these...these Davy Back Fights before and yet, here I was playing them,"

Axe groaned and rubbed his eyes, "So, that's it,"

"What the hell is a Davy Back Fight?" Devon asked, folding his arms, "Some kind of tournament?"

"Nope, totally different!" Axe and Dusty said at the same time.

The crew looked at their nakama.

"Okay," Niri pointed to Axe, "You knowing what the Davy Back Fight is, I can understand, but you...," she pointed to Dusty, "..._that's_ surprising,"

Dusty stuck her tongue out at her, "Hey, I _was_ in the Grand Line before I met you guys!"

Devon cleared his throat, "The Davy Back Fight...?"

"The Davy Back Fight is a game between two pirate crews," Axe began, "The goal of the game is to take members of your opponent's crew and add them to your own, thereby strengthening your nakama,"

Shinatsu nodded, "Yeah, that's how it was explained to us,"

"The Davy Back Fight has it's own traditions, as well as it's history," Axe continued, "The only history that is known is that a long, long time ago, on a pirate island somewhere, the game was created,"

Dusty nodded, "The traditions of the Davy Back Fight are simple. First off, any crewmembers or symbols, like Jolly Rogers, that are lost in a Davy Back Fight game, can only be won back in another game. Secondly, selected crewmembers must immediately swear loyalty to the captain of their opponents. Third and most important, if a symbol is lost in the game and not won back, you may never, ever raise it again!"

Devon turned to Kirsty, "Since when did the kit get smart about shit?"

The foxgirl delivered a hard punch to Devon's bandaged body, making the First Mate double over in pain.

"DUSTY!" Kirsty cried, shocked at her nakama, "WHAT THE HELL!?"

Dusty cracked her knuckles, "He's always makin' fun of me and this was the best chance to teach him to shut up,"

"Finally, Dusty-chan gives the baka Demon his punishment for insulting her!"

Devon flipped DJ the bird, "Shut up, Macleod,"

Axe sighed and turned to Shinatsu, "So, you lost the Sirens and Kimeru in a Davy Back Fight?"

The brunette nodded, "Yeah, we did. It's not our fault though! Those games we played were rigged! They had all these hidden rules and every member of that crew was screwing with ours as we played...they were cheating! It was unfair!"

Axe laughed and leaned back in his chair, "Unfair? Shina, I wouldn't expect you to understand much about this because you're not an actual pirate. A pirate game, made by and played by pirates, has nothing to do with being fair. Anything goes, but even with that, there are rules," he sighed and rubbed his eyes, "Why are you here, Shina? What do you want?"

"She said she needed help," Niri reminded him.

"It's true," Shina sighed, "Axe, look, I know we've had our problems, but I'm begging you! These girls, all of them are my family, my nakama! Just like you love yours, I love them as though they were my own flesh and blood, my sisters! Please!" she held her head, tears leaking from her eyes, "I need your help to get them back!"

"Ladies in trouble?" DJ gave a salute to Shina, "DJ Macleod, at your service!"

"Oh well, _now_ your problem is solved," Devon muttered under his breath, holding his side, earning a glare from DJ.

Shina looked up at them all and rose to her feet, "I'm begging you! Please, if you help me get them back, I'll gladly reward you!"

Niri's eyes sparked, "Reward? What kind of reward?"

Axe rolled his eyes, "Here we go,"

"No, c'mon what reward?"

Shina stared at Niri's sudden enthusiasm, "Uh...well...I'm not sure...,"

Niri waved her off and turned to her captain, "Waddya know, a reward we can negotiate on later, that's not too bad!"

Sighing, Axe looked at Shina and her remaining crew members for a long while.

"Well, Captain, what do you say?" Niri asked her friend, "Do we help, or do we turn away?"

Shina turned to Axe, her cheeks streaked with tear trails.

The young treasure hunter looked at his crew, then at the remaining Nanatsu crew again before leaning forward, placing his arms on the table.

"We'll help, Shina. We'll help you get your nakama back,"

Shina squealed and glomped Axe, "THANK YOU, AXE!"

Devon groaned a little, "I hope we don't regret this,"

"Since we do we regret _anything_ that Axe makes a decision on?" Dusty asked.

Everyone in the dining room, even Axe, Shina and the white-haired girl stared at her.

"What?"

Axe pushed Shina off himself and cleared his throat, "Now, we can't go off half-cocked here. Shina, you're gonna have to tell us everything you know about this pirate crew you went up against. That way, we may learn something about them,"

The brunette nodded and ran a hand through her hair, "Of course, of course. Well, there's not much, but I'll tell you what I know. The crew was huge, like around five-hundred crewmembers, but there were some really weird people in it!"

"Five...five hundred, you say?" Dusty asked slowly, "B-Big crew,"

Axe glanced at Dusty, then looked back at Shina, "Go on. Tell us about a few of these people,"

"Well," Shina looked up at the ceiling, "There was this guy who looked like a cheetah...maybe it was a Zoan Devil Fruit, I dunno. There was this girl with long, bluish hair who had a baton that shot shurikens that looked like flowers and sprayed some kind of knock out gas. Finally, and this one is by far, the weirdest outta the whole damn bunch. He was a fat guy in a purple coat and orange suspenders, with a weird nose and a Devil Fruit ability,"

Dusty groaned and covered her face with her hands. Axe glanced at her, then looked back at Shina, "Devil Fruit ability?" he asked.

Shina nodded, "He'd fold a few of his fingers and this weird beam thing would shoot out and slow people down so much, they'd come to a complete stop!"

"Oh boy," Dusty groaned again and looked at Axe through her fingers, "I think I know who took the girls, and if I'm right, then we're gonna have to play against him,"

Axe nodded, "Yeah, her description fits him perfectly,"

"Fits _who_ perfectly?" DJ asked, looking back and forth from the fox-girl to the captain, "Who are you guys talking about?"

Shina looked at Axe and Dusty, surprised, "You guys know this asshole?!"

Both pirates nodded, "Yeah, we know him," they said at the same time, "We know him well,"

"Know who?!" the others demanded, "Who the hell are you talking about?!"

Dusty sighed, "My old oyabun and my old nakama," she looked up at the ceiling, "Foxy the Silver Fox, a man worth 24,000,000 Beli and Captain of the Foxy Pirates," she looked at Devon, Kirsty, and Austin, "You guys have met him and Porche before, back in the East Blue, remember?"

It took them awhile, but they finally realized who they were talking about.

"Well, this will be interesting won't it?" Kirsty thought aloud.

Suddenly, the door to the galley burst open and everyone went on the defensive. They calmed down when they saw it was only Azu. However, they were disgusted to see that he was still naked and a still a little drunk.

Kirsty, Niri, Dusty, Chizuru, Shina and even her two nakama stared at him. Shina's monocle fell off her eye while her jaw hit the table.

"Hey, guys, what's up?" Azu asked, waving at them, "Man, I had the best dip out there! Good thing there no Sea Kings, eh?" he looked at them, hands on his hips and a large smile on his face, "What's with the faces guys, someone die?"

"A-A-Azu...," Kirsty slowly raised a finger and pointed to the lower region of his body, "You...uhm...you have...,"

"What now?" Azu looked down and let out a yelp before he started slapping his lower region, "Bad fish! Very, very bad fish! Let go, that is _not_ a worm!"

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**Kilnorc: Alright, second chapter down! Had Shina's problem and even some humor in this (some of which just hit me on the spot, hahaha, hope I didn't disturb you). I'll try my best to make Azu a tad less perverted from now on, but he's our comic relief, I'll do what I can to keep him funny.**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Dusty: I can't believe I'll be seeing them again. Feels like forever since I last saw them all.**

**DJ: Dusty-chan, what was it like working under this Foxy guy?**

**Porche: Oyabun, we have to have her with our nakama! She fits in so perfectly, and she's so cute!**

**Foxy: Pip pip pip! Welcome to the Foxy Pirates!**

**Dusty's First Crew **

**Axe: Niri, this maybe argued by Foxy when we meet up with him, but with me and Devon out of it for awhile...I want you to assume command of the Axe-Heads until we're healed!**

**P.S. Looking up info on Foxy, I realize his unique laugh is also "fehfehfeh" but in all the eps I've seen, the subtitles have it as pipipipipip, so please, no crap! Hehehe...next time, ya'll!**


	3. Dusty's First Crew

**Dusty's First Crew**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece. **

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_Davy Back Fight game...a contest that loses or gains nakama, eh?_ Devon thought to himself as he sat outside the infirmary, waiting for Kirsty to get finished with Azu. He felt uncomfortable with that pervert being alone in there with his love. When he finally pulled the fish off his...his body, Kirsty commented that the bite looked suspicious so she'd have to treat him just in case the fish had something bad.

So, there he was, waiting for the diagnosis and possible treatment to be over with. He trusted Kirsty greatly, but Azu on the other hand...he couldn't trust him as far as he could throw him. Sighing, he turned his head to the door.

"Well, you're in luck Azu," Kirsty's voice said from the other side of the door, followed by the snapping of gloves, "The bite doesn't have any venom, and it's not an infection, but it will itch for awhile, so just bear with it, alright?"

"Alright...don't you have any ointment or anything?"

"Well, I suppose I could-,"

"Great," Azu interrupted her, "Just grab some and rub it on to soothe the itchiness,"

Devon's eye twitched, _That drunk bastard! I'm gonna kill-_ his thoughts were interrupted when the shipwright suddenly broke through the upper part of the door, face covered in lumps. Devon pulled away and rose to his feet as the door opened up. Kirsty walked out, cracking her knuckles, growling, "I swear, I don't know why he is the way he is, but he better learn, or else I'm gonna blast him with every drop of _ki_ I have in me!" she huffed and looked at Devon, "You heard that?"

Devon nodded.

"Well?"

"He's an asshole," Devon shrugged before pulling Kirsty in close to him, smiling, "You're cute when you're mad,"

Kirsty blushed.

"Yeah, way to go, player!"

"Excuse me," Kirsty lifted her leg and back-kicked Azu in the face, sending him to the infirmary floor, "Azu, fix the door, would you? An idiot broke it,"

-----

While Axe and Shina talked in his cabin, Dusty found herself sitting on the stern's railing, kicking her feet around and watching the water as the Tomahawk sailed through. She knew what they had to do, but she still couldn't believe the twist that Fate had just tossed her way.

"I can't believe I'll be seeing them again," she thought aloud, looking up at the puffy clouds that floated above her head, "It feels like forever since I saw them all,"

-Flashback-

_"Pip pip pip! Another fight won by the Foxy Pirates!"_

_Dusty clapped her hands with the rest of the Foxy Pirates, "We rock! Foxy's Pirates kick ass!" she turned to Porche, "Porche-neechan, we rock don't we?!"_

_Porche laughed and pulled Dusty in a headlock, "Of course, Dusty! Oyabun is the greatest captain of all!" she suddenly grabbed Dusty's ears and pulled them a little, "And you're the cutest mascot for the Foxy Pirates!"_

-End Flashback-

Dusty grinned, "Porche, you always did have a thing for cute things...though, not as bad as a certain asshole," she thought, a frown replacing her smile.

-Flashback-

_"Leave me alone, Dimitri!" Dusty snapped, smacking the roaming hand of her nakama away from her rear, "I'll tell Oyabun!"_

_The tattooed man grinned and leaned forward, making her back into the wall, "Go ahead and try, Little Fox," he chuckled, "He won't care at all, know why?"_

_Dusty just glared at him._

_"I'll tell you why," Dimitri's eyes went from her face to the chest, "He said you're free game!"_

-End Flashback-

Dusty sighed, "I'm just glad I was able to know the truth before I officially left the crew," she scratched her head, "I just can't believe that Oyabun, Hamburger and Porche left the Grand Line and went around, looking for me! I should've know that they really cared about me,"

"There you are, Dusty-chan!"

The fox-girl turned to see DJ walking up to her, "Oh, hi, DJ-kun! What's up?"

"Not much, I was just looking for you," he jumped up onto the railing next to her, "I gotta ask you something, if you don't mind, I mean,"

Dusty shook her head, "Nope, ask away!"

"Well, I know that you used to belong to the Foxy Pirates...," DJ started slowly, "Dusty-chan, what was it like, working under that guy?"

The kitsune smiled, "Well, until Dimitri and his friends began to grope and humiliate me, it was pretty damn good. Having so many nakama and being the cutest thing in the crew, aside from Porche, was great! I got a lot of attention, like the kind I want when I become a famous entertainer," she reached into her pocket and pulled out an old photograph and held it out to her nakama, "This was taken a short time after I joined,"

"You carry a photo of them?" DJ asked, taking the picture.

Dusty nodded, "Everywhere I go. Things may have been rocky for me thanks to Dimitri, but they were my first pirate crew, and my second family,"

DJ looked down at the photo to see a strange group of people. He recognized Dusty, even with her Foxy Pirate mask over her eyes. He saw the fat man that must've been Foxy, as well as a very cute girl standing next to Dusty.

"Is this...," he pointed to the girl, "...Porche?"

Dusty nodded again, "Yep, that's her. You know, out of all the Foxy Pirates, she was my favorite female crewmate! Sure, we had lots of women in the crew, and they were all like sisters to me, but Porche was always around, teaching me new things and tricks, as well as looking out for me,"

"So, she was like the big sister, huh?"

"Yeah, she was the best! I even had Hamburg, Pickles and Big Bang as big brothers...,"

"Oh, were they nice, too?"

Dusty shrugged, "Yeah, but they were literally 'big brothers'! Remember Roog?"

"How could I forget?"

"Big Bang was a half fish-giant like he was, and maybe as tall, I don't remember. Pickles as about half his size, and Hamburg was about as tall as Herman,"

DJ gawked at her, "NO WAY!"

Dusty giggled, "They were awesome!"

The musician looked back at the photo, then at his nakama, "So, how'd you come to join the crew? Were you lost to them in a Davy Back Fight game?"

Sighing, Dusty shook her head, "No...it was different. Foxy actually recruited me after an incident I had with a Marine back in Roguetown. I think I was...sixteen, I don't remember anymore,"

-Flashback-

_"Man...," Dusty sighed as she held a newspaper over her head, protecting her hair and ears from the rainstorm, "This is just great! I leave home to make it as a star and the first big city I get to, I can't do shit because of the damn rain,"_

_She ran to a nearby building and ducked into the doorway. Dusty sighed again and lowered her bag, looking out at the rain, "It's really pouring, ain't it?" she looked up at the clouds, "It's gonna be awhile before this goes away,"._

_With nothing to do until the storm passed, Dusty leaned against the doorway, humming quietly and tapping her foot. As she did, her ears twitched at the sound of something coming her way. Curious, Dusty poked her head out of the doorway to see a man dressed in a Marine uniform stumbling around._

_"Hey, buddy, are you okay?" Dusty called out over the noise of the rain, "Are you hurt?"_

_The man didn't answer, he just kept walking around strangely._

_"Shit, I think he is hurt!" Dusty, now not caring if she got wet, ran out to check on the man. She approached and shook the Marine gently, "Hey, pal, are you okay? Are you hurt or something?"_

_The man finally took notice of Dusty and lifted his head to look at her. Dusty now knew that he wasn't hurt at all, but he was drunk and he reeked of alcohol. The fox-girl sighed and shook her head, "Come on, law man, get out of the rain, you'll catch your death,"_

_She reached down to grab his arm and lead him away, but with surprising speed, the Marine pushed her to the ground and pounced on her, pinning her to the muddy ground._

_"Hey!" Dusty snapped, both surprised and angry, "What the hell man?! Get off me!"_

_The Marine shh'ed her and giggled stupidly, "Itsh okay, babe...ya know, I usually...," he hiccuped and giggled again, "I usually don't screw on the job, but hey, what the hell? Only live once...,"_

_Dusty gawked at him, He's gonna...EW! she began struggling, trying to get out from under him, "GET OFF ME!"_

_"Aw, be quiet...," the Marine murmured, "God, I hate screamers...takes the fun outta the deal," he leaned forward and grabbed Dusty's shirt, "What size are you?"_

_"I told you...GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" Dusty quickly brought her knee up into the man's groin. The Marine let out a gasp and rolled over onto the ground, holding his nuts, "B-Bitch...,"_

_Seeing an opportunity, Dusty ran back to the door alcove to grab her stuff, but as she grabbed her belongings, she was hit from behind and she fell to the ground, a little dazed. It was the drunken Marine again. He had a pissed off look on his face, in addition to the drunk look, "Stupid bitch...don't you know that this is a good thing?! You ever been screwed by a Marine?! It's like dating a superstar!"_

_Dusty glared up at him, "I really doubt that!" she muttered as he sat on her again, "SOMEONE! HELP-!" she was cut off by the Marine's hand clamping over her mouth._

_"Just shut up and be happy that a respectable law man, such as myself," the man hiccuped, "...is doing this instead of some lowly degenerate!" he reached down and began to pull at her top, "You're a cutie...,"_

_Dusty tried to scream, but the Marine's hand was keeping her silent. Desperate, Dusty looked around to try and find something to help her out. She found it in the form of her scythes that were attached to her bag. As the Marine went about his rampage, Dusty gripped one of her weapons and swung hard._

_The Marine stopped groping her instantly. Dusty looked up to see the Marine was completely still and very quiet now. Soon, she felt something drip onto her neck._

_Blood. The Marine's blood. It was dripping down his neck while Dusty's scythe lay lodged in his skull. Terrified, Dusty pushed the dead man off her, pulled her scythe free and ran off, carrying everything she owned. She ran down the streets of Roguetown, scared to death about what had nearly happened and what did just happened._

_The rain was so thick, she didn't really see where she was going, so it was no surprise that she ran into something and fell to the ground. Looking up from the mud, Dusty saw two strange people standing in front of her. One was a fat man with a strange hairdo and a weird looking nose, while the other was a tall young woman with long blue hair and a black mask over her eyes._

_"Pipipipipipip!" the fat man laughed, "You're in a hurry, aren't you?"_

_"Aw, Oyabun, look at her!" the woman pointed to Dusty's ears, "She's so cute! She looks just like a fox!" she knelt down and looked right at Dusty, "Did you eat a Devil Fruit?"_

_Dusty nodded slowly, "Y-Yeah...,"_

_"Obviously a Zoan," the woman tilted her head, "What kind though?"_

_"The...the Kit-Kit Fruit...," Dusty gulped, "Like Kitsune, ya know...a fox?"_

_The woman squealed and, to Dusty's great surprise, took Dusty into a tight hug, rubbing her cheek against Dusty's. She turned to the fat man, "Oyabun, we **have** to have her with our nakama!" she played with Dusty's ears, "She fits in so perfectly, and she's so **cute**!"_

_Humming, the fat man looked behind Dusty, "She did just kill a man,"_

_Dusty twisted her neck around to find that she didn't run very far at all from the crime scene she had just made. It felt like she ran a longer distance, but it must've been her mind playing tricks with her._

_"If you stay here, you'll be killed," the fat man looked down at Dusty, "If you want, you can join our pirate crew,"_

_"Pirate crew...?" Dusty repeated, biting her lower lip, "I...I dunno,"_

_"Think about it," the woman suggested, "This is a Marine town. Sooner or later they'll find out who killed one of their own and arrest you, maybe even execute you. Do you want that?"_

_Dusty quickly shook her head, "No! I don't wanna die, I wanna be a famous entertainer!"_

_"If you don't want to die," the fat man reached into one of his pockets, "Then come with us. We'll watch out for you, we'll protect you,"_

_"R-Really?"_

_Both the man and the woman nodded._

_Dusty looked back at the body, her hands still shaking, "Alright...," she turned back to them, "I'll join your pirate crew!"_

_The woman squealed and hugged Dusty again._

_"Pipipipipipip!" the man pulled out a thin black cloth and tossed it to Dusty, "Welcome to the Foxy Pirates!"_

-End Flashback-

DJ stared at Dusty, shocked by her tale.

Dusty slowly rose to her feet and did a backflip off the railing, landing on the deck easily, "That's my story, DJ-kun," she turned and started walking to the other end of the ship, "That's how I became a Foxy Pirate...,"

Dumbfounded, DJ sat on the stern railing in silence, watching his nakama walk off.

"Dusty-chan...," he looked at the photograph, "...I never knew...,"

-----

"Aw geez...that's still sore,"

Niri grinned as her friend sat down on his bed, "Axe, suck it up, you're a pirate captain for God's sake!"

"A pirate captain whose body is still recovering from it's last major fight," Axe reminded her, "At least I discovered the truth behind my Devil Fruit,"

The former Marine grinned, "A diamond man...," she laughed, "I got a great treasure without even trying!"

"Oi oi oi,"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Niri waved him off, "I still don't get why you and Devon won't let Kirsty heal you guys like she did everyone else!"

Axe winced a little, "Devon's previous fights were with people he knew and he was victorious against them. I think he wants to heal on his own is because of his pride,"

"What about you?"

Again, Axe winced, "I think, in my case, since it's a Devil Fruit drawback, it can't be healed by Kirsty's abilities or doctor skills. I just have to suffer through it until it's back to normal,"

"How long will that take?"

Axe shook his head, "No friggin' clue. But this does bring up something I want to discuss with you,"

"Oh?" Niri plopped down next to him, "Waddup?"

Her captain and friend looked at her, "Niri, this maybe argued by Foxy when we meet up with him, but with me and Devon out of it for awhile...I want you to assume command of the Axe-Heads until we're healed!"

Niri's jaw dropped, "W-What?!" she rose up from the bed, "You want me to be captain?!"

"_Temporary_ captain," Axe explained, "Just until one of us, or the both of us, are back on our feet,"

"B-But, why me?" Niri asked, still not believing what he was asking her, "I may be bossy, yeah, but I'm not captain material!"

Axe nodded slowly, "Niri, you do have what it takes. Devon told me that back in Slayheim, not only did you help them organize, but you helped them prepare for their escape! Then, up in Skypeia, you helped lead the Shandians and Skypeians in the attack against the Enforcers and you watched their backs. Niri, if there is anyone I trust to be a substitute captain besides Devon, it's you,"

Niri became very quiet.

"Well, waddya say?" Axe lay back in his bed, "Will you take the job?"

"...if I do...can I pick my own First Mate?"

"Huh?" Axe blinked, "Waddya mean?"

"Can I pick my own First Mate?" Niri repeated, "You know, someone who can step in if I can't do anything?"

Axe thought for a few moments and shrugged, grinning, "Hell, why not? It's only until Devon or myself is back on the job, why not? Who do you have in mind?"

"Pingu!"

"Pingu?!"

"Yep!"

"Pingu...the _penguin_? _Our_ Pingu?"

"Yeppers!!"

"You gotta be shittin' me,"

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: WOOT! Third chapter's done! Thank God for Nascar, otherwise I'd never have gotten this chapter up today! Anyhoo, there's some of Dusty's backstory. Pretty messed up, eh? Wait til later...hehehehe.**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Dusty: Niri's acting Captain?! That's bull, man!**

**Pingu: Finally, a competent leader! Now, for fish!**

**Chizuru: So, this is the island, eh, Shina?**

**Shinatsu: They're still here...bastards, they'll get what's coming to them!**

**A Foxy Reunion**

**Dusty: I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack!**


	4. A Foxy Reunion

**A Foxy Reunion**

**Kilnorc: Don't own One Piece. **

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Niri felt strange taking up the position of substitute captain for the Axe-Head Pirates at first, but after a while of thinking, she warmed up to the idea. Pingu being First Mate helped boost the good feeling even higher. When she told the others, however...not all of them were thrilled. 

"Niri's the acting Captain?!" she gawked, pointing at her, horrified, "That's bull, man! Complete bull!"

_BAM!_

Dusty 'eeped' and leapt into DJ's arms as Pingu lowered a smoking pistol. The penguin blew the barrel and flipped the gun around a few times before lowering it.

"Where'd Pingu get that?" Herman whispered to Chizuru.

The navigator glanced at her chef friend, "Best not to ask what cannot be explained, Herman," she whispered back before turning to Niri, "Well, then Captain Niri, what're your orders?"

"In a moment," Niri held up a hand, "I have an announcement first: As acting Captain, I have to have a First Mate and I've already reached a decision about that," she pointed to Pingu, who held the pistol in both flippers, "Meet my First Mate, everyone,"

_CRASH!_

Herman, Dusty and DJ fell over while Chizuru giggled at the idea.

"Anyhoo, as the first order of my new position of Captain is this," Niri turned to Shinatsu, "Where's the island you lost your crew?"

Shinatsu scratched her head, "I don't remember, but if you guys have a Log Pose on you...,"

"Gotcha covered," Chizuru held up her wrist attachment and placed her fingers on Shinatsu's head, "Lessee what we can find...,"

The brunette was taken back at the action and looked at the other Axe-Heads, "Uh...what the hell is she-,"

"Doing?" Chizuru finished, "Just doing what I can to help out," she explained as she probed Shina's mind a little bit more, "Okay, got it!"

"What's the news, Chizuru?" Niri asked.

The red-haired navigator held up the Log Pose, "We're in luck. The island that the Log Pose is pointing at is the one that Shina lost her crew on. We'll be there shortly," she pulled her fingers away from Shinatsu's head, "Thanks for your cooperation,"

Shina rubbed her forehead and backed away, "Ya'll are weird...,"

"Alright, gang, you heard her!" Niri clapped her hands, "Let's go!"

"AYE, CAPTAIN!"

As Shina and her two remaining nakama went back to the _Nanatsu_, Chizuru took the _Tomahawk_'s helm and steered the ship into the right direction. Pingu grinned to himself as Niri barked orders to the others.

_Finally! A competent captain for this crew!_ he thought just before a loud growl was heard from within the pit of his stomach, _Now...for fish! _he turned and waddled into the galley, heading straight for the freezer.

Dusty 'hmphed' and crossed her arms, "Psycho Niri's the captain and the little runt of a bird is the First Mate?! Bullshit!"

"Kit, you either get to your job, or I will tie you to the mast and use you as target practice!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

-----

After a long wait, a large island finally came into view. It was a beautiful island, like the other islands in the Grand Line, but this one didn't seem to be inhabited. it had large, rocky cliffs and slopes, as well as a large plain area near the beach, where a very large galleon with a fox's head for a figurehead lay anchored, giant fox-like paws digging into the island dirt.

Chizuru turned and looked up at the _Nanatsu_, "So, this is the island, eh, Shina?" she called out.

The brunette walked to the railing, a sore look on her face, "They're still here...," she pounded the side of her boat, "Bastards, they'll get what's coming to them!"

Dusty ran to the bow of the _Tomahawk_, "That's the _Sexy Foxy_ alright," she sighed loudly, "Man, this is gonna be weird...,"

"Only if you let it," Niri said quietly as she walked up next to her, "Hey, does this look good on me, or what?"

The kitsune turned to see Niri had donned a coat that looked similar to Bellamy's captain coat, except it was pure black with yellow tassles on the shoulders.

"What...the...hell?" she asked slowly, grinning from ear to ear.

Niri frowned and looked at herself, "What? What's wrong with it?"

"What the...why are you wearing that?!"

"It's what a lot of captains wear!" Niri huffed, "Forget what I just said...stupid fox,"

"Hey!"

"Herman!" Niri looked behind her, "Drop the anchor!"

After releasing the anchor, the rest of the Axe-Heads, Shina and the rest of her nakama went on land, intent on finding Foxy and the four girls that Shina belonged with. It didn't take them long to find Foxy or his crew. Most of the plain area was covered with numerous booths that sold souvenirs of different kinds and food. Behind each booth was either a man or a woman wearing a mask that was identical to Dusty's old one.

Dusty ran ahead of her group and took a deep breath, "I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Every single one of the people wearing the masks stopped what they were doing and turned to the screaming fox girl.

Dusty waved excitedly at them all, "OYABUN! PORCHE! HAMBURG! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?!"

Groaning, Niri held her head in her hands and shook her head, "Dusty, you stupid little-,"

"DUSTY!!!" a loud female's voice ripped through the air right before a blue blur flew past the booth people and tackled Dusty to the ground, "Welcome back, Dusty!"

The fox-girl laughed as Porche hugged her tightly, "Great to see you again, Porche!" she patted her old nakama on the back, "Lemme up, eh?"

Porche kept hugging her.

"C'mon, lemme up,"

Porche kept hugging her and began to roll around on the ground.

"Seriously, let me up, I can't breathe!"

Finally, after a session of hugging torture, Porche stood up, still hugging her old nakama, then let her go. Dusty bent over, gasping for air, "Geez...just like the old days," she panted. Porche squealed, "Dusty, we missed you! Oyabun missed you, Gina missed you, Hamburg, Pickles, Big Pan-,"

"I thought it was Big Bang?"

"It's confusing, I know, Dusty, but the point is, everyone missed you!" Porche grabbed Dusty's arm and began to lead her away, "C'mon, you gotta see Oyabun!"

Dusty began to protest, but Porche didn't seem to hear her. Unable to do anything for now, Niri and the others followed Dusty and Porche through the booth-covered land. As they walked, Shina looked around for her nakama, "Where are they?"

"Don't worry, we'll find them and get 'em back," Niri assured her, "But, we gotta find Foxy first, otherwise we can't start a Davy Back Fight game to get them back,"

After walking through the masses of the Foxy Pirates, they finally came to a stage where five familiar figures sat. Three of them didn't look too pleased while the other twodidn't seem to notice their displeasure. Shina recognized them immediately, "Ichira! Sanira! Nira! Kimeru!"

The four women snapped their heads to Shinatsu, who was now pushing her way through the crowd, "Shina?!"

Foxy lowered his bottle of drink and looked at Shina, "Oh, you again?"

Shina glared at him, "Yeah, me again, fatass!"

"F-Fatass?!" Foxy fell to his knees, head hung low.

"Oyabun!" Porche released Dusty and leapt onto the stage, kneeling beside her captain, "You cold-hearted woman, you made Oyabun's heart break!"

"Well, he deserved it!" Shina held up a fist, "He also deserves to get his ass kicked! I came back for my sisters, and I got friends to help out!"

Foxy looked up and immediately brightened up when he saw Dusty standing in the crowd, "Dusty?! Is that you?!"

Dusty waved at him, a large smile on her face, "Hiya! Long time no see, man!"

As he stood up, Foxy noticed Dusty's nakama standing in the crowd, "Pipipipip! You brought your new crew, too! What're you doing here?"

"I told you," Shina shouted from the edge of the stage, "They're here to help me get my sisters back, Fatass!"

Once again, Foxy fell to his knees, brokenhearted. Dusty turned to Shina, "Please, don't do that, I can't bear to see him like that,"

Foxy made a quick recovery (thanks to compliments from Porche) and climbed back to his feet, a confident grin on his face, "So, you're here to take the newest addition to the Foxy Pirates away, hm?"

Niri stepped forward and climbed onto the stage, "Silver Fox! You know my captain, Axe,"

The fat man grinned wider, "Pipipipipip! How's the boy doing? I read about Slayheim in the paper, and I've always wondered if he was taking care of Dusty-chan,"

DJ growled and rolled up his sleeves, "Lardass calling Dusty-chan that name...only I can do that," he hissed.

"Down, boy, down," Chizuru patted him on the back.

"Porche, if you please?" Foxy snapped his fingers and seconds later, Porche pulled out a stack of paper and handed it to her captain, "Thank you," he leafed through them, "Niri Zolaro, a former Marine with a bounty of 38,000,000 Beli. Azu 'Dizzy' Baba, a...," he peered at Azu's odd picture, "...an okama worth 42,000,000 Beli,"

The shipwright glared at him, "I AM NOT AN OKAMA! I JUST HAD MELONS TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE I HAD BOOBS! DOES THAT SAY OKAMA TO YOU?!"

Every single one of the Foxy Pirates looked at him.

"YES!" they screamed together.

"Man, screw you," Azu flipped them the bird and began to pick his ear.

Foxy went back to the posters, "Duncan Jeffrey Macleod, a swordsman worth 39,000,000 Beli. 'Crimson Claw' Herman, a lobster Fishman worth 46,000,000 Beli. Chizuru Ukita, a lovely young woman worth 29,000,000 Beli. 'Blood Fist' Austin, a mere boy with a bounty of 1,000,000 Beli. His brother, 'Devon the Demon King' is worth 113,000,000 Beli. 'White Dragon' Kirsty, another lovely woman with an amazing bounty of 140,000,000 Beli! My old friend Axe has a new bounty of 378,000,000 Beli. Our old nakama and mascot Dusty, got a bounty of 50,000,000 Beli. Finally, and most strange of you all...Pingu, the 'Pimp of Penguins' with a bounty of only 100 Beli," he looked up at the crew, "I thought Straw Hat Luffy's crew was odd,"

Niri looked at him, surprised, "Luffy? Monkey D. Luffy?"

"Ah, so you know him!" Foxy smiled, "What're the odds?!"

What are the odds, indeed... Niri bit her lower lip, "Foxy," she pointed to Shinatsu, "This girl is...an old friend of Axe's and she came to us, pleading for us to help her get her nakama back. We know that you won them in Davy Back Fight games, so we're here to challenge you!"

"Pipipipipipip!" Foxy laughed, "That's all well and honorable, even among pirates, lass, but the only one who can challenge me to a Davy Back Fight is another captain!"

Niri grinned, "My captain and his First Mate were injured recently, and he appointed me as substitute captain until they're well again. Meaning, I have every right to challenge you to a Davy Back Fight, Foxy!"

The fat pirate laughed again, "Is that so? Well then, by all means, let's go! I accept the challenge," he grabbed a nearby pistol and raised into the air, "Let's seal the deal, shall we?"

"My thoughts exactly!" Niri pulled out her father's pistol and the two of them fired off a single shot into the air.

-----

From the ship, Devon and Axe grinned at the gunshots.

"This is gonna be interesting, eh Axe?"

"Oh yeah, definitely!"

-----

Porche grabbed a microphone and walked out to the middle of the stage, "The rules are known by both pirate crews, but will they swear to honor them in the name of Davy Jones?"

Foxy nodded, "I swear,"

Niri flipped her pistol around so fast it was a blur,"I swear to Davy Jones, I'll honor these rules,"

DJ turned to his friends, "Who is Davy Jones? The name is familiar...,"

Herman cleared his throat, "Davy Jones is a cursed pirate from way, way back...back in ancient times. He lives deep, deep, deep under the water and takes anything that sinks, mostly ships and treasure, to the bottom of the ocean floor for himself,"

"Sorta makes you think that the treasure you heard about a long time ago might be Davy's treasure, huh Herman?" Chizuru thought aloud to her nakama.

The lobsterman nodded, "I have considered that possibility, yes, but I won't know for sure until I find All Blue,"

Back on the stage, Foxy held up three gold coins between his fingers, "We'll play a 3-Coin game, if that's alright with you?"

"Yeah, it's fine, but before we give them to ol' Davy, I have a few requests," Niri pointed to Austin and Sora in the crowd, "Those two...will not be playing any of these games and they can't be selected as new nakama!"

Porche moaned, "But the blue fox is _cute_!"

"It's that or nothing, Foxy," Niri threatened, glaring at him, "I understand that this game is all about losing or gaining nakama, but as acting captain of the Axe-Head pirates, I have to protect those in the crew. Austin and Sora can't play and aren't prizes. Understand?"

Foxy nodded, "Understood!" he turned and threw the three gold coins hard into the air, "I report to Davy Jones that the official game under the 3-Coin rule starts now!" he cried as the coins plopped into the water.

Shina put her hands together and lowered her head, _If there is any God out there, please let these guys win my nakama back!_

_We're screwed..._ the triplets thought together.

Kimeru remained quiet as she took a drink of her grog, "Let the games begin,"

"By the way," Foxy rubbed his chin, "Why didn't you let the bird out of the game?"

Niri smiled proudly, "Pingu is my First Mate,"

Instantly, every member of the Foxy Pirates began to roar with laughter. Growling, Niri fired off her father's pistol again and swept it around, pointing at every mask wearing Foxy Pirate.

"Anyone else think that's funny? HUH!?"

Everyone went quiet.

"Thought so,"

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: Okay, this one was iffy, because even with the manga and wiki helping me out, I wasn't sure about a few things, so I winged it. I apologize if I get anything incorrect here.**

**On the next chapter of Homeland.**

**Niri: Hmm...three games, eh? Race, Sport, and Combat...**

**Shina: Only seven people from both crews can play, but no one player can play in another game and you can't change the lineup.**

**Azu: Any kind of Racing event needs something that's well made. I'm your man in that one!**

**DJ: Wait, if we play three games, then we'd lose or win three people at most...how are we gonna get the fourth girl? **

**Round One: LOGGED! Race Down Rocky Slope**

**Porche: Sorry, Dusty, but Oyabun said we can't take any chances.**


	5. Round One: LOGGED! Race Down Rocky Slope

**Round One: LOGGED! Race Down Rocky Slope**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

With the agreement of the rules of the Davy Back Fight finished, it was time to begin the first game. The Foxy Pirates led the Axe-Heads up a large, very muddy and rocky slope on one of the mountains that dotted the island. As they made the journey, Shina and Dusty began to explain to them what they knew about these games.

Niri chewed a little on her thumb, "Hmm...three games, eh? Race, Sport, and Combat...,"

Dusty nodded, "That's the deal, Niri. I gotta tell ya though, each game is different for each pirate crew. It's on a rare occasion that they'll play the same games right after each other with two pirate crews around the same time. Shina, what games did you and your girls play?" she asked, turning to the brunette.

Shina folded her arms and growled, "We played some kinda weird dodgeball game,"

"Hit and Dead Ball," Dusty nodded, "One of my personal favorites, but keep going,"

"Then we played another weird game where we could only move when they told us to,"

Dusty nodded again, "Red Light, Green Light,"

"And finally, and this one really pissed me off," Shina's eye twitched, "The Combat one. A fight between the two captains of the pirate crews in the Davy Back Fight,"

"Oh, so you went up against Foxy?" Chizuru asked her.

"Yeah, but it was so friggin' cheap!" Shina growled, "He used that stupid Devil Fruit ability on me and sent me flying with one punch! I landed out of bounds and lost the girls,"

Dusty stopped and looked her over, "I've seen the damage Foxy's punches can do, but even with a single punch, you look fine!"

Shina lifted up her shirt to show them a large, dark bruise on her stomach, "Think again,"

"Oh...," Dusty poked at it, "It hurt?"

The brunette yelped and quickly backed away, lowering her shirt, "ONLY IF YOU TOUCH IT!!!" she screeched.

"Sorry!"

Niri looked at the bruise, "Kirsty, can you fix that?"

Shina shook her head, "I'm not in pain-,"

"Bullcrap, you just screamed!"

"...and I care more about my nakama then my physical well-being. When this is over, then I'll get help for it, but until then, forget it!" she shook her head, "Anyway, there's this rule about who can play who can't. Only seven people from both crews can play, but no one player can play in another game and you can't change the lineup!"

As Shina and Dusty argued about this and that, Chizuru looked at the Davy Back Fight game roster. _Seven must play, no one from a previous game can play another game, and there can be no change in the line-up at all..._ she looked at her crew, _We have eight people that are able to participate, so we should be able to think of something here. No doubt Niri must fight Foxy in the final game, so she's taken care of,_ she paused and wrote Niri's name in the final slot, _Now, who else?_

_CLANG!_

"What the hell-?! Dusty!"

Niri and Chizuru turned to see Dusty was still behind them, but now she was bound and gagged, sitting in a cage. Niri slapped herself in the face, "And the damsel of our crew is at it again," she shook her head, "Dusty, you're so hopeless...,"

DJ was pulling at the cage and glaring at the Foxy Pirates who were standing around it, "OI! BASTARDS! LET DUSTY-CHAN GO!" he screamed, "DO IT OR I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL CUT YOU TO RIBBONS!" he reached for his sabre, but couldn't find it. He looked at his empty hip, "Oh, that's right, it broke...,"

"Baka," Niri muttered as she walked up to the group of Foxy Pirates, "You mind telling me what his is about?"

Porche smiled slyly and leaned against the cage, "It's a little insurance policy,"

Niri frowned, "Insurance? For what?"

The blue-haired woman pointed to a now-struggling Dusty, "Since Dusty was part of our crew before becoming your nakama, she knows all about our tactics, so it would be unfair to us if she used her knowledge against us,"

"Unfair?!" Shina stomped over to her, "Listen, you toothpick! It was unfair for my crew when you guys used dirty-handed tactics to win!"

Porche pulled down an eyelid and stuck out her tongue at Shina.

"Why you little-," Shina started for her, but was quickly held back by Kirsty.

Niri looked at Porche, then Foxy, then Dusty (who was kicking the steel bars of the cage), "Alright, whatever,"

"EH!?" Shina and DJ stared at her, "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!"

"You heard Axe," Niri turned and started walking back up the hill, "A game made by and for pirates has nothing to do with being fair, though there are rules. Then again," she shot a glance at Foxy, "Rules are meant to be broken or bent...right?"

"Pipipipipipip!" Foxy laughed and walked ahead, ignoring Niri's question.

"I'll take that as a yes," Kirsty muttered.

Chizuru smiled, "Well, this does help out in some ways,"

"How the hell do you figure that?" DJ snapped at her, "Dusty-chan's-"

"She's free of possible conflict during any of the games," Chizuru interrupted him, "We may be her crew now, but she still loves her old nakama and I'm not sure she'd be able to resist temptation to help them,"

Chizuru's reasoning on the fox girl made Dusty scream at her from behind her gag.

"Be grateful, Dusty," the navigator said sternly before looking at the roster, "So, with Dusty out of the equation, we only have seven people left. Makes the line-up easier with one less person to worry about,"

As her nakama thought over the line-up, Dusty stopped fighting and looked at Porche, not surprised that they would pull this sort of thing to win, but she was a bit sad that they would do it to her, an old friend and crewmate! Porche noticed her stare and sighed, "Sorry, Dusty, but Oyabun said we can't take any chances," she smiled a little, "I'll make it up to ya, I promise, little sister!"

-----

"Alright, I got it all figured out," Chizuru held up the roster, "Here's our line-up for the Davy Back Fight games!"

Niri swiped the clipboard, "Gimme," she looked at the paper for a few moments, "Are you sure this is the best we can do?

Chizuru nodded, "Through deductive reasoning, observation and the process of elimination, I've filled out the roster accordingly,"

Niri took a look at the paper again.

**Round One: Mountain Log Race**

**Azu Baba  
Kirsty Chambers  
DJ Macleod  
**

**Round Two: Hit and Dead Ball  
**

**Pingu  
Herman  
Chizuru Ukita  
**

**Round Three: Pirate Captain Combat**

**Niri Zolaro**

"I'll take that!" Porche snatched the listing away and gave them to a nearby referee.

Niri's eye twitched by kept her cool as they finally reached the very top of the rocky mountain, "I hope your decision was right, Chiz,"

"It was right, Niri," Chizuru looked at the other crew, "Whether it'll turn out okay...even I can't predict that,"

"Pipipipipip!" Foxy laughed, "Alright, let's start the first game of the Davy Back Fight! We're standing on a very tall mountaing with slopes covered by jagged rocks, and the goal of this game is to make it to the very bottom without falling off!"

"Falling off?" Kirsty repeated, looking confused, "Off _what_?"

Azu tapped her shoulder and pointed to a nearby spot where numerous Foxy Pirates were placing two very large logs on the ground, side by side. Kirsty looked at the logs, then at the slope, then at Foxy.

"Oh, you must be kidding!"

"Pipipipipip! Afraid not!"

Kirsty slowly turned her head around to Chizuru, "You...signed me up...for this!?" she hissed.

Chizuru shrugged casually, "It's the safest event, really,"

"BULLSHIT!" Kirsty turned back to the logs, "Okay, so we're gonna have to ride one of those things all the way down and we can't fall off or else we lose?" she asked, making sure she understood the rules.

Porche nodded, "That's right...,"

Azu punched his palm, "Alright, we're in my element!"

Kirsty raised an eyebrow, "Huh?"

The shipwright grinned, "Any kind of race needs something sturdy, and well made, or else it's all crap. I'm your man for this race, Cap'n Niri!".

Niri chewed her thumb again, "Foxy?" she turned to her rival captain, "Is there any rule against making modifications to your log?"

Foxy looked at her and shook his head slowly, "No...,"

"Alright then!" Niri slapped Azu on the back, "Do what you need to do, Galley-La carpenter!"

Azu cracked his knuckles and approached the log they would be using, "You got it, Cap'n!"

As the dreadlock wearing shipwright began to make modifications to the log, Gina, the down right sexy mechanic from the Foxy Pirates turned to her boss, a nervous look in her eyes.

"Oyabun!" she pointed to Azu, "He's from Galley-La! The legendary shipwrights of Water 7!" she hissed, "If he makes modifications to use in this race, we'll lose for sure!"

"Pipipipipipip!" Foxy laughed again and waved her off, "Don't worry, Gina. I'm not about to let this snot-nosed rookies to rob us of our new winning streak," he whispered evilly.

"All done!"

Foxy, Gina, and every other Foxy Pirate member gawked at Azu's handiwork. The log was still pretty much a log, but it had large parts cut out to make seats, a leftover piece of wood made into a rudder, and even had makeshift reigns in front of each seat, made from nearby vines. Azu even managed to carve a name into the side of it!

_Ero-Mobile_

Niri and Kirsty sweatdropped at the name, "Idiot...,"

Foxy laughed and turned to Gina, "And you were worried! All he did was name it, put in seats and rope handles. Trust me, none of those are gonna help them at all when I get in there,"

After a while, and after Gina made her own modifications to their log, aka the _Cutie Wagon 2_, it was time for the race to start. Kirsty sat in the back, Azu sat in the front, and DJ sat in the middle, each of them gripping the vine reins tightly. Kirsty turned to see that Porche, Gina, and a Fishman with large blades coming out of his arms sitting on the log.

"Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the Davy Back Fight! I'm your announcer and commentator, Itomimizu!"

Niri and Chizuru looked up to see a man hovering above the mountain, sitting on a very large bird.

"The first game of the Davy Back Fight between the Foxy Pirates and the Axe-Head Pirates is the Mountain Log Race! Here, the two teams will have to make it down the slope in one piece and without falling off, otherwise they will lose!"

"Tell us something we don't know," Kirsty murmured under her breath.

"The rules are very simple! At least one member of each team has to remain on the log, or they are disqualified! Anyone can do anything to gain the lead or prevent their opponents from winning. Though death is not allowed, we are not responsible if death occurs during dangerous games such as this. Now, on with the race!!"

_**If** death occurs?!_ Kirsty groaned and sunk into her seat, gripping the reins tighter, _I gotta bad feeling about this..._

"On your mark! Get set! GO!"

The Axe-Heads watched as Hamburg kicked the _Cutie Wagon 2_ hard, sending it flying over the edge of the mountaintop.

"OI!" Azu shouted at the large man, "THAT'S CHEATING!"

"Pipipipipip!" Foxy laughed, "There's no rule against a nakama giving their friends a little push,"

"What?!"

Foxy shrugged, "Not our fault you didn't know, or even ask for that matter,"

"Dammit...," Azu snapped his head to the other side, "Herman, give us a push, now!"

The lobsterman ran over and shoved his nakama's log, "Good luck, guys, we're counting on you!"

The _Ero-Mobile_ was soon sliding down the muddy and rocky slope of the mountain, following the trail of the _Cutie Wagon 2_. It was a rough ride down: the _Cutie Wagon 2_ was soaring down the mountain at an incredible speed, dodging every rock visible to the naked eye. The Fishman with the blades on his arms used his arms to propel the _Cutie Wagon 2_ faster and faster, flinging mud back at the Axe-Heads.

Azu cursed as the mud kept hitting him in the face. He tried to pull the _Ero-Mobile_ out of the way, but he didn't get much response. The shipwright looked back to his nakama, "Kirsty! Turn the rudder!"

"Which way?!"

"Just watch me and you'll see!" Azu turned back around, gritting his teeth, "The _Ero-Mobile_ may not be the perfect vessel, but as a Galley-La carpenter, I'll be damned if it fails!"

"Oh, boys...!"

DJ and Azu looked ahead to see Porche and Gina waving at them.

Porche blew a kiss to them, "Could you do us a favor and let us win, boys? We'd really appreciate it?" she called.

Immediately, DJ's lady-pleasing senses kicked in and threw his hands in the air, "Hai, Porche-chan!" he cried right before sliding off the side of the log, "Muddy log!" he shouted before the rest of the log ran him over and left him behind.

Kirsty and Azu facefaulted, "Idiot...he's just like Sanji!"

"Oh, what is this?! DJ Macleod, the swordsman on the Ero-Mobile has been disqualified thanks to the tactics of Porche-chan and Gina-chan!" the commentator shouted from above, "Only two are left on the _Ero-Mobile_, which is trailing far, far behind the _Cutie Wagon 2_!"

The doctor gripped the rudder, "Azu, how come you didn't perv out?!"

"There are more important things here than just hot babes covered in mud, Kirsty," Azu yelled, "It's our pirate honor, and my honor as a Galley-La worker, that's at stake!" he looked back at her, "You wanna win this?"

"Of course, I do!"

"Then you gotta do something!"

While Azu and Kirsty sped down the mountain, Foxy was waiting for them at the halfway point. He chuckled as Porche and her teammates sped past and held up his hands, waiting for the right moment.

"_Noro Noro..._," he held up his fingers and as soon as the _Ero-Mobile_ came into view..., "_Beam_!"

Two beams of purple and pink rings shot out of his hands, heading straight for Kirsty and Azu's log.

"I got you both-,"

Foxy stopped in mid-sentence when a sudden blast of white energy erupted from Kirsty's hands. Thanks to Azu's quick thinking, Kirsty launched a powerful _ki_ blast at the back of their log boat, which soon sent their log flying into the air at an incredible speed.

The fat man blinked, his face covered with mud, "...of...you...now?" he slowly turned and watched the _Ero-Mobile_ descend and land ahead of the _Cutie Wagon 2_, sending a wave of mud and loose rocks into their faces.

Kirsty and Azu turned and flipped the bird to the now blinded Foxy Pirates behind them, "IN YOUR FACE!!!"

-----

Back on the upper half of the mountain, DJ rose to his feet, slipping and sliding every now and then, caked in mud.

"What happened, did we win?"

-----

The _Ero-Mobile_ crossed the finish line at the base of the mountain and the two remaining pirates jumped off the log, large smiles shining under the layers of mud they had on their faces.

"We won!" Azu shouted.

"And you didn't perv out!" Kirsty added happily.

"High-foot!"

The two martial artists swiftly kicked at one another and smacked their feet together as Porche and her _Cutie Wagon 2_ finally reached the ground. She and Gina not only looked irritated that they lost, but because they were also covered in mud.

"Oh, what an unexpected twist!" the commentator shouted into his mic as his bird landed nearby, "Seems like White Dragon has a secret trick! Combined with the skill of a worker of the legendary Galley-La, the Axe-Head Pirate win the first round of the Davy Back Fight!"

Azu and Kirsty turned to the losing team and both held up V signs.

"V FOR VICTORY, SUCKAS!"

-----

Niri grinned as the pirate crews regrouped at the Davy Back Fight stage in the plain area of the island. Porche was still irritated and covered in mud, Foxy's eye was twitching like crazy, and Dusty was...still tied up in a cage.

"My crew wins this game," the substitute captain's grin widened, "That means, as the victor and the captain, I get to choose a person from your crew to add to ours,"

Foxy muttered something and looked away, "Just do it...,"

"With pleasure," Niri pointed to Kimeru, "You! Strange sword girl! Take off the mask and get your ass over here, pronto!"

The swordswoman ripped the black mask off her face, hefted her segmented blade over her shoulder and walked over to Niri, "Reporting for duty, Captain," she said coolly. Niri shook her head and jerked a thumb to Shina, "You're reporting to the wrong lady, Kimeru. Get back where you belong,"

"Whatever you say," Kimeru shrugged and walked back to Shina, who leapt at her, hugging her tightly, "Okay, this is embarrassing,".

"Not as embarrassing as having a penguin as a First Mate," Herman whispered.

Porche grabbed her microphone again, "Round One of the Davy Back Fight is over! Time for Round Two to begin!"

Niri turned to Chizuru, Herman and Pingu, "Good luck you guys,"

Herman cracked his knuckles.

Pingu flexed his flippers and punched the air.

Chizuru smiled, "This will be fun,"

Inside the cage, Dusty moaned, They're gonna play Hit and Dead Ball...why is Oyabun going with this game again so soon? These guys have no clue about the Foxy Pirates' tactics in this game!

As the large group made their way across the plains, DJ walked alongside Niri.

"Niri, something's been bugging me,"

"What is it, DJ?" Niri asked, eyes staring straight ahead.

DJ looked at the triplets, "Wait, if we play three games, then we'd lose or win three people at most...how are we gonna get the fourth girl?" he asked quietly.

Niri glance at him, then looked ahead, "Leave it to me, DJ. I got everything under control,"

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: Okay, I would just like to say, right off the bat, that when it comes to races, I suck at describing them, so I'm sorry that it wasn't much in there. I'll make up for it in the next two games, hehehe...swear!**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Herman: Why didn't you list DJ in this roster, Chiz? He can dodge these things easy!**

**Chizuru: You saw what he did with two girls asking him to throw a game, you think he'd stand a chance with a whole bunch of girls?**

**Pingu: Nailed him!**

**Niri: HEY! REF! That was an illegal...LOOK AT THE GAME, ASSHOLE!**

**Round Two: INCOMING! Pirate Dodgeball**

**Porche: Shuffle! **


	6. Round Two: INCOMING! Pirate Dodgeball

**Round Two: INCOMING! Pirate Dodgeball**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

**Kilnorc: Well, seems that Bloodline's doing well, and it's not even up to ten chapters, yet! Awesome!!!**

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Dusty struggled with her bindings, _This sucks...still can't believe that they pulled this move on me!_ she looked at her nakama, who were either standing on the field or on the side of it, _This is gonna be rough..._

On the sidelines, Niri leafed through a very large, and very thick book that the commentator gave to her. _The oldest and most historic game of the Davy Back Fight sure does have a lot of rules and regulations,_ the substitute captain mused as she turned the pages, rubbing her eyes every few moments, _This is mind-numbing, but if we're gonna play, we have to know the rules so we don't get disqualified._

DJ was still wiping away the mud off his clothes, "Man, this is gonna suck! I think Chizuru goofed when she made the roster for the games," he glared at the commentator, "You guys are gonna cheat again, ain't ya?!"

"No, no, no," Itomimizu wagged a finger, "The game will be observed by Chief Official Rokuroshi and his staff," he waved a hand to a short, old man surrounded by four young men dressed in neat clothes and ties, "Besides, your Captain already knows what'll happen if the game rules aren't followed honorably,"

"Eh?" DJ turned to Niri, who was halfway through the book, "What's the punishment? We lose two people instead of one?" he asked, half-joking.

Niri glanced at him, "Those who break the rules get their head lopped off," she ran a finger across her throat, "Decapitated!"

"What?!" DJ wrapped his hands around his neck, "Are you serious?!"

"Relax," Niri looked back at the rule book, "This applies to the actual players,"

The old man, Rokuroshi blew his whistle, "Two players from each team, please step forward!"

Herman cracked his neck as he and Chizuru stepped forward, "Why didn't you list DJ in this game's roster, Chiz?" he asked, turning an eyestalk to his nakama, "He'd be perfect for this, he can dodge these things easily!"

Chizuru shook her head, "You saw what he did with two girls asking him to throw a game," she pointed to the sidelines, where Porche and a large group of beautiful women in identical black masks stood, "You'd think he'd stand a chance against a whole group of girls?" she asked him.

"Oh...I get it,"

"Glad one of us gets something,"

"What do you mean?"

Chizuru nodded forward, to the three Foxy Pirates on the field, "I've done some digging...they usually allow more than three people from each crew in this game, but it looks like they're going with just three on each one,"

Herman frowned, "Why?" he asked, looking at the three pirates: Hamburg, Chiqicheetah and Pickles. It was easy to guess who they were from Dusty's description earlier before her "detainment".

"I don't know yet," Chizuru shook her head, "Right now, we got more things to worry about then how many players on the field. Stay focused, throw hard, and keep dodging,"

"You can count on me, and you know you can count on Pingu,"

Chizuru grinned, "Oh, we can definitely count on that little powerhouse,"

"Let the game begin!" Rokuroshi cried before blowing his whistle again.

The two game balls were tossed high into the air seconds later.

"Herman, throw me!" Chizuru ran to her friend, "As hard as you can!"

"Got ya!" Herman grabbed her by the waist and threw her high into the air, "Fly!"

The commentator craned his neck upward, "Ooh, what an interesting beginning play! It seems that the beauty with red hair has been tossed by the fishman with a red shell. She's going for the balls!"

Chizuru snatched both balls just as Big Pan was reaching for her, "I don't think so!" she quickly curled herself into a ball and fell out of the range of Chiqicheetah's paws just in time. Herman caught her, "Nice job, Chizuru!"

"Oi!" one of the referees waved his hands, "This was a double _jump_ start! Not a throwing nakama start!" he scolded.

Niri groaned, _Shit..._

Rokuroshi was quiet for a moment, then jerked his thumb, "Chizuru Ukita, you are out!"

The Axe-Heads in the audience facefaulted at what just happened. Not even a minute in the game, and Chizuru was out!

Shrugging, Chizuru walked off to join her nakama, "Must've been a later rule, Niri," she patted her friend on her shoulder, "Don't worry about it,"

"It seems that the lovely navigator of the Axe-Heads is the first to be out of the Hit and Dead Ball game," the commentator shook his head, smiling, "Oh well, that's the way the game goes. But the question is, who will be the next one out?"

Herman tossed one ball over his shoulder, "Pingu, I'm taking the cheetah. You got leftovers,"

Pingu caught the ball with his flippers and smirked, or at least it looked like he was, _Leftovers are always good!_

"Pengy!" Porche called from the sidelines, "Can you really throw that ball?"

Pingu nodded and waddled forward, ignoring the laughs he received from the audience, _Shrug off the laughter, so what if you're small? Doesn't change a thing in power!_

Porche squealed, "Pengy is so cute! I hope Oyabun chooses him when we win!"

"BACK OFF, BITCH, HE'S MINE!" Niri screamed, glaring daggers at her while she was held back by Kirsty and DJ.

Chizuru leaned inward, "You know, that sounded wrong, but I get what you mean," she whispered, "Next time, be careful how you say things,"

Herman juggled the spiked ball in his hand, looking up at Chiqicheetah, "Here, kitty kitty kitty,"

As Pingu walked across the field, he could hear the mocking laughter of the Foxy Pirates. _Yeah, yeah just keep laughing dumbasses..._ Pingu thought, waddling closer and closer to them, _Back on Drum, I used to peg Laphan's with snowballs smaller than this from a much further distance, so you guys got no chance of winning!_

"THROW IT ALREADY!" the audience screamed at the two of them.

Pingu glanced at Herman, who nodded, and grinned. The two of them pulled back their throwing arms, taking aim.

_EAT THIS, JERKWADS!_ they thought, hurling their balls hard at the targets.

Meanwhile, Dusty watched the Hit and Dead Ball game from her prison, _I don't get this. Pickles and Hamburg are experts in the Groggy Ring Game and Chiqicheetah's better in races, so what's with this lineup? _she looked at Foxy,_ What's he thinking?_

A loud gasp from the crowd made Dusty turn back to the game just in time to see Pingu fly backward, one of the balls plowing into him.

_PINGU!_

"Oh! The small penguin from the Axe-Head Pirates has been hit and is flying out of bounds! But, can he be saved?!" the commentator screamed as Pingu hit the ground, bouncing every few feet.

Rokuroshi blew his whistle, "Pingu is out!"

"Excuse me, Mister Referee!" Chizuru called out, holding her hand up, "I believe he's safe!" she argued.

The crowd of Foxy Pirates exploded with swears when they heard the outrageous idea. Chizuru walked over to Rokuroshi, the rule book in her hand. She held it up and pointed to a page, "Rule #23: The face counts as safe,"

Rokuroshi nodded, "That's...that's true,"

Chizuru pointed to Azu, who lay ontop of the ball that hit him, "That ball may be touching his body, but it's also touching his face at the same time, so doesn't that mean he's safe?" she inquired.

The old referee looked closely at Pingu for a few moments, "His face is touching the ball, so he would be safe...,"

"WOOT!" Niri screamed from the sidelines, "PINGU'S SAFE!"

"...he _would_ be safe if he wasn't out of bounds," Rokuroshi pointed to Pingu, who was clearly out of the white boundaries of the field, "So, he is out!"

Chizuru cleared her throat, "I'm sorry, but you're mistaken again, Mister Referee,"

"Eh?" Rokuroshi looked at her, "Young lady, I've been at this for fifty years! Don't think you can pull another loophole on me,"

The navigator smiled and pointed to Pingu again, "To be out of bounds, you have to be on the ground, correct?"

"Of course!" Rokuroshi snorted, "Thats the rules!"

"Then, he's safe! Pingu isn't really touching the ground, he's just laying on the ball, and the last time I checked, the ball isn't part of his body,"

The entire game field went quiet.

Niri pumped her arm, a large grin on her face, "Way to go, Chizzy!"

"Just doing what I can to help out," Chizuru turned to Pingu, "Listen, little guy! You need to get up, and walk back over here, because Herman will need your help,"

Porche puffed out her cheeks, "When he gets up, he'll touch the ground, so he'll be out no matter what! You shouldn't be so cocky!"

Chizuru glanced at her, a sly smile on her face, "He doesn't have to walk on the ground," she pointed to the bird again, "Look...,"

Porche turned and gasped when she saw that Pingu was not only awake, but he was walking on top of the ball, riding it back into the boundaries of the game field. He had a slight nosebleed from the impact of the ball, but other than that, he was just fine. When he reached the field, he hopped off the ball and struck a pose.

_"YOU CANNOT TAKE DOWN THE PIMP OF PENGUINS!"_ he honked at the top of his lungs.

The commentator stared at the bird, "Never, in all my time of witnessing these games have I ever seen such a fiery spirit in an animal! Not even Tony Tony Chopper had this much fire when he played!"

Kirsty's eye twitched, "Is he bad mouthing my little brother?" she growled, clenching her fists.

DJ backed away from Niri and Kirsty, "Kirsty-san and Niri-san are scary today...,"

Chizuru nodded silently.

You guys think you can knock me out? Pingu tossed the ball and caught it a few times, an evil look in his eye, I think it's time I even the score. Say hello to my little friend!

With surprising speed, Pingu threw the ball hard at the nearest opponent, which turned out to be Hamburg. Everyone expected the large pirate to catch it, but what actually happened was the ball flew into Hamburg's stomach and to their amazement, the large pirate soared clear out of the ring and landed on his back.

Rokuroshi blew his whistle, "Hamburg is out!"

Foxy, Porche, Chiqicheetah, and every other Foxy Pirate stared in astonishment at what the little bird had just done. Pingu's nakama were not surprised at all. The commentator rubbed his eyes, "I cannot believe it! The small First Mate of the Axe-Head crew has actually forced our very own Hamburg out of the ring! This is amazing!!!"

Nailed him! Pingu twisted around, snapping his back, That'll teach him to screw with the Pimp of Penguins!

"Oooh, Pengy...!"

Great, her again... Pingu turned to Porche, but when he saw her, his jaw dropped and eyes went wide. The entire female group on the sidelines was holding delicious looking plates of different types of fish. Immediately, Pingu ran over to them, leaving a trail of drool behind him.

Niri gawked, "What the-?!"

Porche knelt down and handed Pingu the plate she held, "Pengy, you can have all this fish if you let us win," she offered sweetly. The penguin's love for fish was his downfall, because as he stuffed his face with fish, Porche held up the same ball that knocked Hamburg out of the ring and bopped the bird over the head.

The penguin stopped his eating and looked up at the ball. It took him a few moments to realize what had just happened, but when it hit him, it hit him hard. The small bird slowly walked to his nakama, head hung low.

Rokuroshi blew his whistle again, "Pingu is out!"

"WHAT?!" Niri stormed over to him, a large vein throbbing in her head, "HEY! REF! That was an illegal-," she was cut off by Rokuroshi shaking his head. Growling, she pointed at Porche and the other girls, "LOOK AT THE GAME, ASSHOLE! THAT WAS A DIRTY, UNDERHANDED MOVE, EVEN FOR A PIRATE GAME!"

Rokuroshi shook his head, "Not only is the top of the head not safe, but it is perfectly legal for outside interference to help out one's team,"

"SINCE WHEN!?"

"Pipipipipipip!"

Foxy's annoying laugh made Niri look over her shoulder to see the fat man laughing heartily. He shot a sly smile at Niri, "You're just a rookie pirate, kid! You have a lot to learn...,"

Niri's eyebrow twitched as she glared at him, "Is that so...?" she turned back around and crossed her arms, "I know enough, fatass, like how that freakish nose of yours ain't normal,"

Foxy fell to his knees, depressed.

The substitute pirate captain grinned, _Bingo..._

"Now, it's down to the lobster Fishman, Herman and our own Pickles and Chiqicheetah!" the commentator shouted into his microphone, "Will we gain new nakama, or lose another one to these rookies?!"

Niri picked her ear, "Shit, he doesn't have to scream...,"

_Hmm..._ Herman looked at the cheetah-man, then at the larger man in green, _Cheetah's are always fast, and the big guy looks like he can pack some serious firepower behind those arms, so who should I...eh?_ Herman blinked and looked closer at Chiqicheetah. The cat-man was looking at the other fish dishes that Porche and the other girls still had with them.

The lobsterman grinned, _Gotta take this chance!_ he pulled back his arm and threw the ball hard at Chiqicheetah, "Bad kitty, no fish for you!"

"Eh?" Chiqicheetah turned just in time to receive the full force of Herman's ball in the face. The impact sent the cat-man flying, but as he went closer to the boundary, Chiqicheetah planted his claws into the dirt, slowing his speed significantly. Everyone watched as the cat-man came to a stop...just inches away from the border. With his feet in the air and the red mark on his face, Chiqicheetah was safe!

_Crap..._ Herman grit his teeth, _Almost had him, too!_

"Oh, so close and yet so far for Herman's victory over Chiqicheetah! It'll take more than sheer strength to beat him, Fishman!"

Rokuroshi held up a hand, "Face is safe!"

Niri chewed her thumb again, _Man...this sucks! They have an advantage in numbers here, and they have both balls! We need to think of a game plan, here or else we lose..._ she stopped chewing when she saw Chiqicheetah look at Porche, who grinned wickedly and nodded, placing the ball she used to bop Pingu behind her back. Chiqicheetah grabbed Herman's ball and tossed it to Foxy, who held it behind his back.

_What the hell...?_

Dusty closed her eyes, _Not the-_

"SHUFFLE!" Porche called out.

Every single member of the Foxy Pirates placed their arms behind their backs and moved them from side to side.

"Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle...,"

Shina groaned and covered her eyes, "We're so screwed!"

DJ looked at her, "Why, Shina-chan?"

The brunette looked out through her fingers, "They used this same move against us,"

"Oh...crap...,"

Herman looked from side to side, watching as every Foxy Pirate kept moving their arms behind their backs, mumbling "Shuffle" every few seconds.

They're trying to make me confused so I can't find the ball... he grinned, It's gonna take more than that to knock this lobster over, guys. I applaud your trickery, but I gotta say, it's so easy to see through!

"FULL VOLLEY!" Foxy yelled, "LET HIM HAVE IT!"

Full...Volley? Herman looked around to see that every single Foxy Pirate threw a ball into the air, WHAT THE HELL!?

Niri gawked at the scene, "What's going on here?! Where'd those other balls come from!?"

"That's part of their tactic," Kimeru explained, "Only two of those balls are the real balls, the rest are fake. It's no biggy if the Fishman gets nailed by a fake one, but if one of the real one hits him...," she trailed off.

"He's out...," Niri growled and grabbed Shina, shaking her violently, "DON'T YOU THINK YOU COULD'VE TOLD US ABOUT THIS A FEW SECONDS EARLIER?!"

"Sorry!"

The Fishman looked at all the balls as they flew down towards him. He had to dodge them, catch them, he had to do something! But...

Herman sighed and took a hit from every single ball.

Rokuroshi blew his whistle loudly, "Fishman Herman is out! Foxy Pirates when this round of the Davy Back Fight!"

"Pipipipipipipip!" Foxy laughed loudly and turned to Niri, "I win this one!"

Niri snorted and walked past him towards Herman, "Bite me, fatass,"

Once again, Foxy fell onto his knees, depressed.

Herman and Niri met on the field, the former looking a bit ashamed and the latter have a combined look of anger and confusion.

"What was that all about?" Niri asked quietly.

The lobsterman rubbed the back of his head, "It was the only way, Niri,"

"The hell it was!" Niri snapped, "You couldn't roll into a ball and gotten away?!"

Herman sighed, "Niri, we don't play like they do. We play without cheating. If I had managed to dodge or even catch the real balls, they would've done something else to screw us over. I wanted to spare us the grief of having to put up with their crap,"

Niri stared at him, surprised. Sure, she wanted to win this match and win another one of Shina's group back, but when she thought about it, what Herman said made a lot of sense. Herman patted her on the head and walked off the field, "Let's get this part over with, eh, Captain?"

As he walked off, Niri turned to her nakama and guests, who were consoling Herman for his loss. She looked to the side to see Foxy and Porche laughing amongst themselves while the triplets were looking depressed.

Niri clenched her fists, "One more game, guys. Just one more game, and we can leave...all of us!"

-----

After the end of the Hit and Dead Ball game, Dusty was finally released from her cage and bonds. She figured that with the Combat Round coming up, there was nothing she could do to help out her friends, so the Foxy Pirates had no reason to keep her tied up.

Now, she was standing in the crowd, watching as Niri and Foxy stood on the stage, looking at one another. Foxy was rather pleased with himself and Niri was furious, though she didn't show it...her nakama could feel the angry aura around her.

"Pipipipip! We won this one, so that means we get to take one of your nakama," Foxy looked out into the crowd, "Hmm...which to pick, which to pick? The Fishman? The White Dragon? The Galley-La carpenter? Or even Dusty?"

Niri's eyebrow twitched, "It won't matter, because I'm gonna kick your ass in the last game,"

Foxy placed a hand to his ear, "Eeh? Care to repeat that, Miss Cocky?"

"Yeah, I would!" Niri walked up to him, a confident smile on her face, "I'm gonna kick your ass in the Combat Round, Foxy!"

"Pipipipipipip!" Foxy laughed again, "I've had 921 victories and one loss, girl!"

"Yeah, against Straw Hat," Niri shot back, "But I'll be the one to give you your second loss,"

"Is that so?" Foxy rubbed his chin, "You seem awfully sure of yourself...care to make a wager?"

"A wager?" Niri raised an eyebrow, "Try me,"

Foxy grinned, "I know that you've come here for that girl's nakama," he pointed to Shina, then the triplets, "...and I also know that you'll want your other nakama, the one I'll choose very soon, so how's this for a wager? If you win, you can take them, all four of them,"

"But, if you win...?"

"If I win," Foxy's grin widened, "I get four of your nakama!"

Niri looked at him, then at the others for a time, then back at him, "Deal!"

After shaking on it, Foxy laughed again and looked at the crowd, "I'm very interested in this one's strength. I've seen something that is quite rare in the Grand Line...and that has made me decided who I want as nakama! I want you!"

He was pointing at Pingu, who facefaulted, his jaw dropping, much like it did earlier.

With amazing speed, Porche grabbed Pingu, tied a Foxy mask around his head and held him up for all to see. The Foxy Pirates cheered at the arrival of their new and unusually strong bird nakama.

Pingu sweatdropped, _I hate you all...**so** much._

Niri shot a deathglare at Porche, and her own evil grin crossed her face, "Now, you went and did it,"

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: Alright, there's Round Two! Personally, in the anime filler, this is one of my favorite Davy Back Fight games. Reminds me when I used to play dodgeball in school. May not have thrown very well, but I was dodging like I was in the friggin' Matrix or something! Anyhoo, time for the preview!**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Foxy: Pipipipipip! You'll regret making that wager, girl!**

**DJ: Niri-san's creeping me out...and we're the way over here!**

**Chizuru: Foxy made the mistake of fighting against the daughter of Zolaro...**

**Dusty: Hey, she's wearing my first costume I wore during the Davy Back Fights I participated in! She looks great in it!**

**Round Three: Headstrong! Niri's Nakama**

**Niri: You think these tricks will work on me? HA! I'll show you what happens when you take nakama...especially Pingu! **


	7. Round Three: Headstrong! Niri's Nakama

**Round Three: Headstrong! Niri's Nakama**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"Niri, you be careful out there,"

"You know I will,"

"Be careful, but kick his ass,"

"Of course, of course. Hand me those gloves, eh?"

"Here ya go. I still can't believe you're wearing _that_,"

"Hey, I figured it'd remind them what I was once...and I look damn _good_ in it!"

"Think you're father is objecting?"

"Well, I think he's rolling around in his grave...,"

"EH?!"

"Either from disappointment, or from laughing his ass off,"

"...I _really_ don't hope you don't anger his spirit,"

Niri grinned as she looked at herself in the mirror, "Herman, my father was always understanding, and he always let me do my own thing when he wasn't giving me early training. He'd understand,"

"I hope so," the Fishman sighed loudly, "I still think that the ring selection for this fight was rigged,"

"Of course it was!" Niri glanced at him as she tied the gloves over her hands, "But, I won't let it get to me. Foxes are always known for their trickery, so I'm not surprised that Foxy's little cannon chose his ship for the fight," she put the final touches on her outfit and rose from her seat, "Okay, I think I'm ready!"

Herman grabbed a blue cloak from the closet in the _Sexy Foxy_'s costume room, "Let's go...Champ,"

"Damn right!"

-----

Sitting in a large set of stands outside the Sexy Foxy, the remaining Axe-Heads waiting for the fight to begin. Shina was doing her best to be all calm and collected while Kimeru casually sipped on her drink between handfuls of popcorn.

Shina glanced at her nakama, "How could you be so relaxed?!" she hissed, "You know what Foxy can do, you know that she doesn't have much of a chance,"

The swordswoman slurped her drink loudly, "Maybe small chance, but it's still a chance,"

Dusty nervously tapped her foot against the stands, "Man, this is gonna be rough," she turned to her nakama, "I've seen Foxy fight in this Combat Game before, and he's not to be underestimated! Besides his _Noro Noro Beams_, his punches are friggin' powerful!"

"Cahn' be 'at 'owe'ful...," Azu muttered, his mouth full of food.

The kitsune pointed to the numerous members of the Foxy Pirates, "You wanna repeat that?!"

Azu swallowed his food, "Alright, so he's cunning and powerful enough to gain all these people for crewmembers, but you gotta remember something, Dusty," a grin crossed his face, "Niri's the daughter of a Marine Captain, and she's been training with Herman. Besides, if she can hurt Axe on a _daily_ basis, she's gonna clobber Foxy," he grabbed one of his hotdogs, "Unless of course the _Noro Noro Beam_ freezes her and she's sent flying like Shina was,"

Popcorn from behind hit him in the back of the head.

Dusty's ears drooped, "But if she looses, we lose four nakama! I bet I know who Foxy wants: you, me, Kirsty...and someone else, I dunno,"

The other Axe-Heads were doing their best to keep themselves occupied until the fight started. Chizuru was waiting quietly with Pingu sitting next to her, looking severely pissed off what the predicament he was in. The penguin, as a pirate, knew there was nothing he could do until his friend won his freedom, so he'd just have to wait until the fight ended to see how it went.

Kirsty was chewing her fingernails like crazy, and DJ was taking a page from Dusty's book and tapped his feet against the stands. His speed increased with each tap, and soon enough, he made two holes in the floor.

"Crap..,"

Austin was stuffing his face with junk food he got from the food booths, not really looking all that worried. Sora, on the other hand, was enjoying Pingu's situation. The blue-furred Sky Fox glanced at his nakama.

_"That mask suits you...,"_ he commented casually.

_"Don't make me kill you, Fox,"_ Pingu growled, a vein throbbing in his head, _"Niri will win me back, just you wait and see,"_

_"If she doesn't, that means I get to have your spot on the bed,"_

Pingu glared at him.

The sky suddenly began to darken as loud music boomed out of nowhere. Dusty sighed and rubbed her hands together, "It's starting," she murmured, looking up at the sky. Her nakama followed suit to find two very large images were plastered on the dark smoke clouds that filled the air.

Giant light beams shined out of the _Sexy Foxy_'s fox figurehead and projected two images of bounty posters of Niri and Foxy. Itomimizu flew around in the sky on his giant bird, "Today's final Davy Back Fight game will feature our own 'Silver Fox' Foxy and the acting captain of the Axe-Head pirates, Niri Zolaro!"

The stands roared with applause for the two opponents as smoke began to billow out of the ears of the figurehead. Itomimizu flew lower, circling the Sexy Foxy, "In the left corner, is a man with a record of 921 wins and only 1 loss, our Oyabun...FOXY!!!"

Stepping out of the smoke, the familiar fat figure of Foxy appeared. He wore blue boxing gloves, boxing shoes and his orange suspenders.

"Next up, the Axe-Head's acting captain, former marine turned pirate sporting a bounty of 38,000,000 Beli...," Itomimizu paused as two large figures stepped through the smoke, "Niri Zolaro! Accompanied by her coach, the Fishman Herman, who was once originally part of Arlong's pirate crew back in the East Blue if you can believe it!"

Herman sighed, "Why'd he have to bring that up?"

"Relax, alright?" Niri held up her black boxing gloves, staring at the audience, "Yeah, give it up, folks! Gimme some love!"

"YEAH! GO NIRI!" Kirsty screamed at the top of her lungs, "KICK HIS ASS!"

Dusty cupped her hands over her mouth, "Niri, watch out for his Beam, and don't fall for any of his tricks!" she yelled, earning some angry boos from all around.

Herman rubbed Niri's shoulders, "You ready, kid?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Niri exhaled loudly, "Let's rock!"

**(Author's Note: Guys, get ready for some fanservice here!)**

Niri threw her blue cloak off and instantly everyone in the audience gasped loudly at what they saw.

"Hey!" Dusty shot to her feet, pointing at her nakama's outfit, "She's wearing my first costume I wore in the Davy Back Fights I used to participate in when I was a Foxy Pirate! She looks great in it!"

Azu, along with the rest of the male and even some of the female members of the Foxy Pirates, fell out of their seats, their noses gushing blood like a fountain.

The shipwright gave a thumb's up, "N-Nice...Niri!"

Niri's outfit was something that was surprising to even her nakama. It was a skimpier version of a Marine uniform. She wore a very short blue skirt that went down to mid thigh and a short, tight button shirt that showed more cleavage and belly than any normal uniform would allow. The only thing that didn't make anyone go nuts were her blue leg guards.

DJ gawked at Dusty, "Y-You used to wear that?!" he stammered, his face going red.

Dusty glanced at him and nodded, "Yeah...you shouldn't be surprised, DJ-kun, you've seen what the other girls of the crew wear. That costume was a welcoming gift from Porche,"

Kirsty shook her head, "It's a nice costume, but if you wore something like that, it's no wonder Dimitri and his friends came at you,"

"Hey, I can dress as sexy as I want, the clothes have nothing to do with that perverted furry and...DJ-kun, are you okay?"

DJ was kneeling to the ground, his face red and both hands covering his lower face. Small drops of blood dripped out from between his fingers.

Chizuru giggled, "He's so innocent, isn't he?"

Austin rolled his eyes, _Baka..._ he looked at Niri and rubbed his chin, _I wonder if Kirsty would wear something like that for Devon?_ he mused.

"Oi, Fishman!" Itomimizu flew down lower to the figurehead, "Only the fighters can be in the fight area. You'll have to leave,"

Herman nodded and tied Niri's hair in a ponytail so it wouldn't get in her way, "Good luck, kid...," he whispered before diving off the figurehead and into the water.

"Pipipipipipip!" Foxy laughed as the fighting arena was cleared, "You'll regret making that wager, girl!"

Niri turned to him and punched the air a few times, "And you'll regret taking Pingu away from our crew, pal! I may be a girl," she smirked, "...but I can kick your ass just as easily as my baka captain!"

-----

"ACHOO!" Axe sneezed loudly and wiped his nose, "Geez...someone must be bragging about my power somewhere,"

Devon rolled his eyes.

-----

"Pipipipipipip! Before we begin, let me just say that just because you're a girl, I won't go easy on you," Foxy grinned, "You'll get the same punishment I give everyone else,"

"GIVE HER A SPANKING!" a familiar voice screamed from the audience, followed by a large thump, which was followed by a high-pitched yelp.

Niri's eyebrow twitched, but she kept her cool, "That's just fine, Foxy," she pounded her gloves together, "Any last words?"

"Pipipipip! Don't worry about the Sexy Foxy being busted up during this game, Zolaro, I have many good shipwrights under my command, so go nuts!"

An evil grin crossed Niri's face, "Thanks for your permission...,"

In the audience, DJ, whose nose was plugged with tissues, gulped, "Man, Niri-san's creeping me out," he shivered, "...and we're all the way over here!"

Chizuru whistled loudly, "I can feel the major vibe she's giving off clearly...she's really gonna let this guy have it, ain't she?" she shook her head, smiling a little, "Foxy made the mistake of challenging the daughter of Captain Zolaro,"

"But, _she_ challenged _him_," Kirsty pointed out as the sky finally cleared up.

Itomimizu took to the air again, "It's time to get the Combat Game of this Davy Back Fight between the Foxy Pirates and the Axe-Heads started! The prize are four new crewmates! The rules are this: First off, if anyone falls off into the water, they lose! Any and all weapons on the ship can be used by either fighter, and any fighter can fight with whatever style they wish! There is not time limit here, folks, so let's hope that it's a good fight. Let's get this fight underway!"

Foxy chuckled, "We usually start this off with a tradition between fighters," he walked over and held out his gloves, "The fight can only start when both fighters' gloves touch each other,"

Niri raised an eyebrow, "Alright...," she raised her gloves and touched his, "Like this?"

"FIGHT!"

An evil glint appeared in Foxy's eye, _"Noro Noro Beam!"_

_Shit...! _Niri cursed silently as the beams of glowing rings hit her, "O...h...cr...a...p,"

"Pipipipipip!" Foxy laughed, "That was easier than I thought. Now, to show you something that I love using in these fights," he pulled back his arm, "_Kyuubi Rush_!"

Dusty covered her eyes, "I can't watch this...!"

Foxy unleashed a flurry of quick punches that collided with Niri easily due to her slowness thanks to his _Noro Noro Beam_.

Azu squinted at the fight, "The punches are hitting her, but she doesn't look like she's being affected by them,"

"Just wait for about twenty more seconds," Dusty muttered, shaking her head.

Foxy pulled back his fists and walked away, smiling, "I got Straw Hat with this before, but since you're a normal human, you'll feel more pain than he did," he looked at the slowly changing face of Niri, whose cheeks were moving to the side very slowly, "Thirty seconds are up!"

Niri suddenly reverted to normal speed, but as she did, her body was pummeled by invisible blows. As she was pummeled, she was forced backward towards the edge of the figurehead, getting closer and closer to the edge.

"What the hell is going on?!" Kirsty shouted, watching her friend closely, "What's happening to her?"

Dusty sighed and lowered her hand away from her face, "When he uses _Noro Noro Beam_ and punches people with _Kyuubi Rush_, Oyabun's attacks are dealt to his opponents, but it only takes full effect when the _Noro Noro Beam_ wears off," she explained, "While the enemy doesn't look phased at first, when they can move normally, the combined power of the _Kyuubi Rush_'s punches attack their body,"

"Hey, she's okay!" Azu cheered, "Go Niri!"

It was true. Though she was close to the edge of the figurehead, Niri had survived the attack. Her nose and mouth were bleeding and she already had some bruises forming on her body, but she just seemed to shrug it off. Looking around, Niri found that Foxy wasn't on the figurehead anymore.

She wiped the blood from her mouth and made her way to the deck of the ship, "You can hide all you want, Foxy, I'll kick your ass either way," she called out, "Where are you?"

"Pipipipip!"

Niri turned to the sound of Foxy's annoying laughter to see that a door nearby was wide open, Foxy's laugh echoing from inside the ship.

"Running, eh?" Niri calmly walked towards to the door, "Alright, I'll play Cat and Mouse," she murmured, entering the ship and closing the door behind her, "Let the hunt begin,"

-----

Dusty groaned again, "She shouldn't have done that. The _Sexy Foxy_ has plenty of rooms and booby traps inside! Niri's really gotta be careful, or else she's screwed!"

"Is that all?" DJ asked her, "Knowing Foxy, there's something else up his sleeve,"

"Well, he does put on these disguises," Dusty scratched her head, "But she needs to be careful with that too, because they're so good, they fooled even me!"

-----

"That is the most retarded costume I've ever seen...,"

Foxy fell to the floor, "How could you say that?!"

Niri stared at the ridiculous disguise Foxy wore over his fighting outfit. She had tracked him to one of the rooms in the Sexy Foxy, and when she found him, he was wearing a costume that was pretty much a big fake head with large eyeholes. His costume and his acting were horrible...Niri recognized him easily.

"On second thought, you look sexy!"

Foxy shot to his feet, "Really?!"

"Just kidding!" Niri ran over and punched him so hard, she split the fake head in two and sent Foxy flying a few feet before he landed on his back, his nose bleeding. Niri shuffled from side to side, tapping her gloves together, "I'm not stupid like Straw Hat Luffy, Foxy, you won't get me with those so called tricks!"

Growling, Foxy climbed to his feet, his nose bent in a few places, "Why you...!"

"Another thing, fatass...,"

Again, Foxy was on his knees, "That was uncalled for!"

"You're too damn sensitive!" Niri ran at him and threw a hard uppercut, sending Foxy a few feet in the air.

"Damn you...!" Foxy glared at Niri as he fell and aimed his gloves at her, "_Noro Noro..._,"

"Not this again!" Niri cursed and dove behind a piece of furniture in the room, "Can't get me from here!" she yelled, "Gonna have to do better than that!"

She sat there, waiting for Foxy to retort, or for him to make a move, but she didn't hear anything.

"Hey, fatass, you hear me?"

Nothing. Not even the familiar sound of Foxy dropping to his knees and complaining. Slowly, Niri poked her head around the corner and facefaulted when she saw that the door on the other side of the room was wide open and Foxy wasn't in the room anymore.

"Oh, you sonofa...," she climbed to her feet and ran out of the room, "If this is a fight, then actually fight me!"

She turned a corner and ran right in front of Foxy's gloves.

_"_Pipipip..._Noro Noro Beam!"_

-----

"Man, I can't stand this waiting!" Kirsty wrung her hands, "It's one thing to wait a fight out while they're in view, but it's a whole other thing if they're in an area where we can't see where they are!"

Chizuru glanced at her, "Nervous?"

"Of course I'm nervous! Why aren't you nervous?!"

"Because, I know that Niri will pull through this,"

"Oh, what, you get a psychic vision or something?"

Chizuru chuckled lightly, "It rarely works like that, but as a captain, substitute or not, we have to have faith in her. Sure, she's not superhuman like Axe or yourself, and she may not have a Devil Fruit, but even those who don't eat Devil Fruits can be strong in their own way. Just be patient,"

A series of loud explosions suddenly filled the air as large chunks of the Sexy Foxy blew away, dark smoke rising from the wreckage.

Kirsty gawked, "OH C'MON!"

Chizuru sighed, "Sorry for this, but you need to relax and keep quiet...," she stood up and reached out, pinching a certain spot on her shoulder. Almost instantly, Kirsty hit the floor. Azu and DJ stared at what just happened.

"What did you do?"

Chizuru sat back down and crossed her legs, "I read in her medical books important joints and pressure points, so that I could maybe use that information in a battle in the future. I read that if I pinched a certain area of the human body, I can render them unconscious for a short time,"

The two men just kept staring at her.

The navigator pulled off her hat and fanned herself, "Look, I'm hot and I wanna get outta this place, I really didn't want to put up with her panic bursts, alright? Don't judge me, you would've done the same thing,"

-----

"_Foxy Counter Blow!_"

_CHOMP_

"AHH! SONOFABITCH!!!"

Niri stumbled back, wincing as a large, fox-shaped bear trap was latched around her arm, the metal teeth digging into her flesh. Her blood dribbled down her arm and dripped onto the floor while Foxy laughed evilly at his trick.

"You know, I'm really gettin' pissed off here," Niri tried to grab the trap to pull it off, but was unable to get a good hold because of the glove.

"Pipipipipipip!" Foxy smiled, "At this rate, I'll have four new crewmates very soon! You're a tough one, how's about you come over to the Foxy Pirates?"

Niri grinned, "I'm sorry, I already belong to a crew lead by an idiot of a captain,"

"An i-i-idiot?!" Foxy fell to his knees, "I'm an idiot?!"

"YES, BECAUSE YOU KEEP LETTING THESE THINGS GET TO YOU!" Niri screamed before throwing a hard right hook.

Foxy took the blow and skipped along the floor of the Sexy Foxy, a few of his teeth missing. The fat man rolled to a stop and lay facedown on the floor. Niri walked over to him slowly and nudged him with her foot. He groaned, but didn't get up.

Niri grinned, "That's right, don't mess with me!" she snorted and walked out of the room, "Kicked his ass!"

As she walked through the halls of the ship, Foxy pushed himself off the floor, a large bruise forming on his cheek, making his face look worse than before, "I won't be beaten that easily...!"

-----

"Guys, look! She's back!"

Kirsty groaned and held her head as she staggered to her feet, "What happened...?"

"You fell asleep," Chizuru shrugged, "I'm surprised you did that, but more importantly, Niri's back on the exterior of the Sexy Foxy,"

"Oh, she is?" Kirsty blinked a few times and turned to look at the large ship in front of her, "Hey, she is!"

Sure enough, Niri was back on the top of the deck, making her way to the figurehead of the _Sexy Foxy_, a large grin on her face.

"Yeah, go Niri! Kickass!" Azu shouted, clapping his hands, "Kickass hotty!"

The others clapped alongside Azu while the Foxy Pirates were boo'ing at her and the absence of their captain. Dusty couldn't believe what she was seeing! Could her friend actually have beaten her old captain that easily when only one other person in the Grand Line kicked his ass? Joy and disbelief filled her entire being until a dark shadow moved behind her friend.

"NIRI! BEHIND YOU!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

She heard Dusty's cry and without taking another second to question it, she spun around and landed a hard roundhouse on the side of Foxy's head. The fat man spun around and fell to the floor, "D-Dammit...,"

Niri lowered her leg, "Still moving around, huh, Foxy? Guess this means the fight's still on,"

"This is amazing!" Itomimizu screamed into the microphone from above, "Even though she possesses no Devil Fruit like a certain straw hat, Niri Zolaro is able to not only injure Foxy, but also stand from the punches he usually delivers! It seems that this girl is harder to take down than many other opponents he's come up against! The last girl Foxy fought was beaten with a single punch!"

Shina groaned and lay down, burying her head in Kimeru's lap, "Hide me," she begged.

"Dude, that's hot,"

Kimeru shot a glare at Azu, but looked back at the fight, "I wonder what's giving her the edge she has here?"

Niri walked over to Foxy, "I'd stay down if I were you...,"

Foxy chuckled, "Is that so?"

With surprising speed, Foxy performed a leg-sweep and Niri fell onto her back, surprised by the move.

"Ow...," she winced, "That smart,"

"Pipipipipip!" Foxy got to his feet and stood over Niri, "My turn!" he cackled, holding out his gloves.

_Shit, not this again!!!_

_"Noro Noro Beam!"_

Once again, Niri was covered by the beams of glowing rings. Foxy laughed and grinned widely, "I'll admit, girl, you're tough for a normal human and you're not as stupid as a lot of people...but that's the only thing you have to use against me!"

_I hate this fatass..._

"_Kyuubi Rush!_"

Once again, Niri was assaulted by a flurry of punches.

Dusty covered her eyes again, "Geez...she's gonna be sore after this,"

After a short time, Foxy pulled back his arms and stepped away, "Thirty seconds!"

Niri's body went back to normal just as the collective power of Foxy's punches came to her. Again, she was pummeled mercilessly, and with each punch, she was pushed into the figurehead. Deeper and deeper she was forced into the wooden figurehead of the _Sexy Foxy_ until the attacks ceased. Foxy leaned over to see Niri was laying very still, "Pipipipipip! Looks like you lose. I had a good fight though, so I'll treat your nakama well,"

Foxy stepped over the Niri-shaped hole in his figurehead and threw his arms in the air, smiling widely as his crew chanted "Oyabun" over and over again.

"922 wins!" Foxy shouted, "922 wins and four new nakama!!!"

"Aw crap," Dusty hung her head, "She lost,"

Azu scratched his head, "Man...least it was a good fight. The fight parts we saw, anyway,"

"This sucks," Kirsty groaned, "Anyone wanna take a guess who's gonna be taken?"

"Pipipipipipip! Still the champion!"

"...you? A Champion? Bullshit!!"

Foxy froze at the sound of Niri's voice, "No way!" he slowly turned to see Niri climbing out of the hole she made, her hair covering her face now that her ponytail was wrecked, "Normal pirates always fall to my _Kyuubi Rush_ and _Noro Noro Beam_! You're not like Straw Hat, you don't have a rubberbody, so how can you still be standing?!"

Niri spat out blood and wiped her mouth, panting a little, "Those things are nothing but tricks, Foxy. You think those tricks will work on me?" she grinned behind her hair, "HA! I'll show you what happens when you take nakama...," she lifted her head and Foxy flinched when he saw a startling look in her eyes and her wicked smile, "Especially Pingu!"

-----

At that moment, both Devon and Axe jumped nearly three feet in the air. They were trying to enjoy a snack when a cold chill ran down their backs. Axe turned to Devon, his face pale,"Did you feel that, too?"

Devon nodded slowly, "Y-Yeah...you know what that was, right?"

Axe nodded "Oh yeah," he gulped, "Niri's pissed off level just went through the roof! I hate to be the poor fool who's in her path of destruction right about now...,"

-----

"_Noro Noro Beam! Noro Noro Beam! Noro Noro Beam!_"

Foxy fired shot after shot as Niri ran at him, but each one was easily dodged by the woman in the skimpy costume. He had seen the look in her eyes and for once, he was absolutely terrified!

"_Noro Noro_-!"

"SHUT UP!!!" Niri screamed at the top her lungs as she threw a hard punch.

The black fighting glove hit Foxy square in the face and with amazing power behind it, the punch sent Foxy flying off the _Sexy Foxy_ and right into the stands, blowing a decent sized hole in the audience.

DJ, Azu, Kirsty, Austin, Sora, Pingu, Chizuru, Dusty and Herman (who was watching from the top) stared in shock at what they had just seen.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Dusty shouted, "What kind of punch did Niri just do?!"

Azu gulped, "I dunno...but she put a lot of anger into it,"

Chizuru nodded slowly, "I read that when put in extreme situations, normal human beings can call on superhuman strength! It seems that with her anger, Niri was able to draw out that power,"

The rest of the Axe-Heads looked back at the unconscious Foxy who was covered with broken planks of wood, then back at Niri, who stood silently on the _Sexy Foxy_'s figurehead, her hair blowing in the wind.

She wiped more blood from her chin, "Hell hath no fury...like Niri pissed off!"

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: And the final round of the Davy Back Fight is complete! I had some trouble with this, because I wanted it to be original, but I wasn't sure how to make it so much like that without using elements from Afro Luffy's fight with Foxy. All in all, I think this ended pretty well. I know the saying at the end isn't how it goes, but I had to modify it to give Niri a cool line.**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Dusty: I can't believe that Niri won! Oyabun must be getting old and too fat...**

**Porche: Oyabun, she didn't mean that...Dusty!**

**Niri: A deal's a deal, Foxy. Gimme Pingu and the Siren triplets...unless you're going back on your word to Davy Jones?**

**Azu: Nice angle!**

**Spoils of the Davy Back Fight**

**Axe: Shina...it's beautiful! Thank you so much...hey, wait a minute, what is this? A bill?! **


	8. Spoils of the Davy Back Fight

**Spoils of the Davy Back Fight**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**Kilnorc: Well, guys, I've had fun doing this filler...though, it was a bit tough and a lot of hard work for me. I just wanted to have Dusty have an interesting reunion with her old crew before I get back to the main adventures of the Axe-Head crew.**

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

After Kirsty fixed both Niri and Foxy with her Devil Fruit ability, it was time to officially finish the Davy Back Fight games they started. Both Foxy Pirates and Axe-Head Pirates stood around the large stage that sat in the middle of the plain area of the island. Dusty was watching her old captain and Niri approach one another, one looking somber and the other one grinning like crazy.

She shook her head, "I can't believe that Niri won! Oyabun must be getting old and too fat...,"

Foxy must've heard her from the stage, because the next thing everyone knew, he was back on his knees, looking very depressed. Porche rushed to his side and knelt down, patting him on the back, "Oyabun, she didn't mean that...," she said soothingly before shooting an annoyed glare at her old nakama, "Dusty!"

"Sorry!"

Once he was back on his feet, Niri walked over to Foxy, "Don't worry about her, she's a little," she paused and spun her finger beside her head, "Has been since I met her back in the East Blue,"

"Hey!"

Foxy nodded, "She was always a bit of an air-head, but we loved having her around. She was always good for comic relief, pipipipipipip!"

Dusty turned away, her hands behind her head, "Man, everyone's making fun of me...,"

Chizuru giggled, "It's alright, Dusty, you know they don't mean it,"

"Anyway," Niri rubbed her hands together, "I won and a deal's a deal, Foxy. Gimme Pingu and the Siren Triplets...," she raised an eyebrow at him, "Unless, you want to go back on your word to Davy Jones?"

Foxy sighed, "Take 'em...,"

Niri turned to the audience, "You heard 'em guys! Rip off the masks and go back to where you belong!" she shouted.

The Sirens pulled off their masks and ran over to Shina and Kimeru, while Pingu tore off his mask and ran up to Niri, hugging her around her legs.

Porche moaned, "Pengy...,"

Niri bent down and picked up Pingu, cuddling him, "I've missed you, Pingu-kun! Sorry that those cheating Fox chicks tricked you with the fish,"

"Oi, I'm right here!" Porche snapped at her.

Shouts from the other female Foxy Pirates followed Porche's, but Niri just ignored them. She walked off the stage, towards her nakama to find that they were happy at the return of their bird nakama...and that Azu was on the ground, another lump on his head.

"What happened to him?" she asked.

"He tried to hit on Gina-chan!" DJ growled, eyebrow twitching, "How dare he...,"

Dusty looked at him, "You know, I'm still here!"

"Sorry, Dusty-chan!"

"Hey, Niri!"

The acting captain and Pingu looked down to see that Azu had a clear view of Niri's panties, since she was still wearing her fighting costume. Azu gave a thumbs-up, "Nice angle!"

Niri's eye twitched, "Azu...,"

Her nakama looked away as Niri proceeded to stomp on Azu's face.

"When will he learn?"

"I'm surprised that he did that after what she did to Foxy,"

"He'll be sore for awhile. Kirsty, you gonna help him recover?"

"I would, but I think I need the captain's permission to do that,"

"And since Niri's captain...,"

"He's gonna be in pain for awhile,"

As the _Nanatsu_ crew and the Axe-Heads began to leave, Dusty trailed behind, looking back at her old crew. She really missed being part of their crew, but she was with a new family now. It wasn't certain if she'd ever meet up with them again, but she was glad that she got to see them one more time.

"Kit?"

Dusty looked ahead to see that her crew had stopped walking and were looking at her.

"What's up guys?" she asked, looking at each of their faces, "Do I got something on my face?"

Niri shook her head, "Nope, but what kind of friend are you?"

Dusty blinked, "Huh?"

"We're about to leave for the ship and you aren't going to say goodbye to the first pirate crew you belonged to?"

"You...you think I should?"

Niri walked over and poked her in the head, "Kit, stop being rude and go say good-bye, alright?"

Dusty looked at her, then the rest of her crew before breaking out in a smile, "Thanks, guys,".

The two groups watched as Dusty ran back and tackled a few of her old friends in a tight hug. Niri scoffed and turned back around, "Let's go guys...,"

-----

When they got back to the _Tomahawk_, Niri and the others told Devon and Axe everything that had happened. Devon was glad that Niri didn't put his little brother in any danger during the Davy Back Fight games, and Axe was pleased that they were able to get not only their own nakama back, but Shina's crew as well.

"I can't thank you guys enough," Shina bowed deeply to the Axe-Heads, "I owe you guys so much!"

Niri waved her off, "It's no biggy...but uhm, you didn't promise a reward?"

Kimeru looked at Shina, "Reward, huh?"

"Hehehe...," Shina rubbed the back of her head, "Well, I'll be happy to give you guys what ya like, but I should warn ya, I don't have much cash on me,"

"WHAT?!" Niri snapped, "WHAT THE HELL, MAN!?"

Shina held up her hands, "But, I can pay you back with something besides money!"

Azu clapped loudly, "Alright! I'll take the triplets," he grinned and started walking over to the sirens, but he didn't get far because Kimeru whapped him upside the head with the hilt of her segmented blade, sending him to the floor.

"Pervert," Kimeru snorted, "How do you put up with him?"

Chizuru shrugged, "We get by,"

"Aaaanyhoo," Shina said, sweatdropping at her nakama, "I can pay you all back in the best way I can," she pointed outside to her ship, or at the weapons to be specific, "I'm a weaponsmith, so if you guys want anything new and improved, lemme know,"

Axe rubbed his chin, "Well, that's a nice offer. How long will it take?"

Shina gave a shrug, "That depends on if anyone wants something and what it is that they want. Besides, you guys have some time,"

"Why's that?"

Kimeru cracked her neck, "You followed the Log Pose to get here, right?"

They all nodded.

"It takes about four days for it to set, so like she said, you have time,"

Axe tapped the side of the wall for a bit, "You know, there is something you can do for me...,"

"What is it?"

The young treasure hunter walked up to her, "How good are you at repairs?"

-----

Four days later, Shina returned from the depths of her ship, followed by her nakama, carrying a collection of objects wrapped in cloth. For four days, the Axe-Heads listened to all kinds of sounds from within the wanted ship. They all wondered what the hell could she have been doing in there, and they were now about to find out.

Niri received a collection of modified ammo rounds for her pistol and explosives that were of a stronger mixture than the kind she carried with her already. Shina even borrowed the strange fluid from Isla Cadaver that Kirsty kept in the infirmary and stored some of it in the special rounds.

"Fire off a round,"

Niri aimed her father's pistol at the mast and squeezed the trigger. A gunshot rang through the air and everyone watched as the bullet went deep into the wooden pole. Niri walked over and looked into the hole, "Whoa...,"

Shina grinned as small wisps of smoke exited the hole, "The acidic compound that Kirsty let me borrow is good in itself, but it's even better this way. You can injure an enemy, and it's not a through and through shot, when the bullet is lodged in the enemy's body, the acid seeps out and burns the body from the inside!"

Niri nodded and holstered her pistol, "Not bad...thanks,"

Chizuru was given a brand new set of serrated daggers, laced with seastone. The navigator flipped the daggers around a few times before throwing them against the outer wall of the galley. Each one of them went in deep, and were easy to pull out. Chizuru grinned, "I like it...,"

Everone else besides Axe were happy with what they had, so they didn't get anything new. DJ surprised them when he didn't ask for a new sword to replace his broken sabre. When they asked him why he wouldn't take a new one from them, he simply shrugged and said when he found the right blade, he'd take it as his own.

Finally, Axe's gift was revealed. Shina had taken his broken stone axe and completely revamped it. Everyone's jaw dropped when they saw that the axe no longer had a chunk of rock, but had two beautiful slabs of diamond on the end of it! Each of the blades had a serrated edging, like Chizuru's, and had the same seastone laces.

Shina grinned proudly as she patted the weapon, "This is the best thing I've made in a long time, and I had a lot of fun with it. It took me awhile to cut through the big ass diamond stone we had stored on the ship, but in time, I was able to replace and improve your weapon, Axe,"

The pirate captain was speechless.

"I remember what you told me, Axe, about your Devil Fruit and how you got this in the first place, so I did what I could. The handle is the same one from your old weapon, and I figured a diamond man like you needed a weapon that reflected you in some way,"

Axe slowly walked over and ran his hands along the new weapon, still speechless.

"Of course, since it's diamond, it's a bit heavier than your old weapon, but the handle is sturdy so it won't break, and it'll probably take you a little time to get used to the weight, but trust me Axe," Shina nodded to the diamond weapon, "That thing will help you in the long run. I balanced the weight for easy, but powerful swings and the lacing of seastone will let you fight easier against other Devil Fruit users," she took a deep breath and looked at him, "Well? What do you think?"

Axe shook his head, "Shina...it's beautiful!" he exclaimed as his eyes shined brightly with excitement, "I'm gonna miss it's old look, but I'm glad that Rayo's gift to me is still here and can still be used in a fight!" he looked at her, "How the hell did you manage to find a diamond big enough to make this?!"

Kimeru snorted and turned away, "It was my payment for a job I did awhile back,"

"It was _your_ diamond?" Devon asked, surprised, "...and you let her use it for him?"

The swordswoman shrugged, "Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but I felt like paying you guys back myself for helping us out," she shot a glance at Devon and smirked, "Don't think we're all buddy-buddy, Demon King, because we're not! When we meet again, I expect you to be fully healed and ready for a rematch,"

Devon grinned and nodded, "You got it, lady!"

"Thank you so much...," Axe trailed off when he saw Shina holding out a piece of paper, "...hey, wait a minute, what's this?"

Shina grinned and turned her head to the side, a mischievous grin on her face, "That's the price for labor and materials,"

"It's a bill?!" Axe and Niri shouted at the same time, "YOU SAID THIS WAS A REWARD!!!"

"Oh, it is," Shina nodded, "But I used up a lot of materials and my valuable time to make these rewards, so the least you can do is pay me,"

Axe looked at the bill and his eyebrow began to twitch, "Shina...," he slowly looked up at her, "Is it just me, or is this the same amount of money that I stole from you a few years back?"

Shina just smiled.

-----

"I hate her, so much,"

"She tricked us...,"

Axe and Niri stared at the Nanatsu as the two ships departed. The _Nanatsu_ crew were on their way to an island thanks to an Eternal Pose while the _Tomahawk_ was off to a new island thanks to it's newly reset Log Pose.

"I love what she made for us," Axe gripped his new and beautiful weapon, "But she still had a grudge on me for stealing that money,"

"Axe?"

"Hm?" Axe turned to see Niri's shotgun pointed at his face, "N-Niri?"

The sharpshooter's eyes twinkled with an evil light, "Axe, I have seastone shells in the chambers this time,"

"Whoa, hold on," Axe started to back away, "Why are you pissed at me?!"

Niri grinned and pulled back the hammers on the firearm, "Axe, because of your little caper of the past...we...are...broke! All the cash...is gone!"

"We still have the gold from Skypeia!" Axe reminded her, "Don't forget that!"

"HOW CAN WE SPEND GOLD, AXE?!" she screamed, "WE NEED TO GET IT CHANGED AND THERE'S NO MONEY CHANGING BANK AROUND HERE!!!"

While the two of them worked out their misery, the other Axe-Heads sat in the galley, eating a delicious lunch prepared by Herman. They listened as shotgun blasts, the sound of running, and screams of pain echoed all around them.

The others ignored them by talking, but Dusty was picking at her food, remembering what they had been through recently. She was going to miss them all terribly, the Foxy Pirates, even more now that Dimitri wasn't a part of the group anymore, but as she told herself before, she belonged to a new family.

Dusty looked around and watched as DJ and Devon got into another argument, Pingu was stuffing his face again with extra fish (which made Herman a little mad), Chizuru was petting Sora and giving him some of her food, Azu was stuffing his face with everything he can get his hands on and guzzling down mug after mug of grog, and Kirsty was laughing as Austin stuck chopsticks up his nose and clapped his hands, acting like a walrus.

The kitsune smiled at them. This was her family alright...and every single one of them were crazy in their own way. She felt right at home with them.

"Oyabun, Porche, Chiqicheetah, Hamburg, Big Pan, Gina, Pickles," she closed her eyes and pictured her old crew having the time of their lives, "I'll miss you guys. Take care of yourself, alright?"

"HOLD STILL!!!"

"Niri, put down the shotgun!"

_BOOM!_

"OH GOD, NOT THE _GOOD_ CHEEK!"

Dusty opened her eyes and looked at her friends, "Did Axe just get shot in the ass?"

They all nodded.

"Baka,"

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: -stretches- Man, that was a fun filler to do! The idea of Shina making Axe that weapon was a combined thought of myself and the Nanatsu's owner, DarkScytheQueen. Well, with the filler over...time for the main adventure to begin!**

**-Fans rejoice-**

**Hehehe...preview! -clicks remote-**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Niri: Island ho, guys! We're in luck! Looks like a big city is on it, that means we can get the money exchanged!**

**Kirsty: You all go on ahead. Herman and I will stay behind. Devon and Axe are still recovering and they're gonna need plenty of food and rest.**

**Chizuru: Hmm...the map says this island is called Kinmostu Island.**

**Azu: I wonder what drinks they have here...?**

**Kinmotsu, the Crescent Mountain Island**

**DJ: Dusty-chan? What's wrong? **


	9. Kinmotsu, the Crescent Mountain Island

**Kinmotsu, the Crescent Mountain Island**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Somewhere in the Grand Line, a group of five people walked towards a noisy bar, listening to the screams, shouts, and music that echoed from within. One of these people was an old man, and the other four were what people could call his family.

Kyra Chambers stretched and put her hands behind her head, "I still don't see why we have to come," she muttered to Edge, "I know he's old, but sensei can handle himself!"

The goggled man turned to her, "He wanted us to tag along, sister,"

"I know, but why-,"

Caine came to a stop and turned to her, "You may find it enlightening, child," he looked at the rest of his pupils, "All of you,"

Buu patted his belly, "Hey, as long as I can eat, I'm happy wherever we go,"

"Yeah, we know, fatass," Stick cracked and quickly ducked to dodge Buu's large fist, "Too slow!"

Kyra rolled her eyes, "Bakas,"

Edge only smiled at his "brothers" as he opened the door to the bar, letting his master walk in first. Though she was respectful to him most of the time, Kyra decided not to wait and used the _Kyo Kyo no Mi_ ability of hers to pass through Edge, then the wall of the bar.

The former assassin shivered, "Hate it when she does that,"

When they were all inside, Caine led his students to a table where two people were apparently waiting for them. One of them was a tall, older man with sunglasses on and the other one was a woman with a scar across her face.

Kyra tensed when she saw movement under the table. It was a sword and it was being drawn. She calmly reached for her own sai, but Edge stopped her and shook his head slightly. Looking back, she saw that the man shook his head at the woman for drawing her own weapon.

Caine took a seat at the table and looked at the two of them, "Judge, Oni...so it was you who sent me that note," he looked closely at them both, "You look different,"

"Same to you, Caine," Judge frowned as he adjusted his hat and glasses, "Who are your friends?" he asked.

"These are my family," Caine turned and nodded to each of them, "My daughter Kyra, and my sons, Buu, Stick, and Edge,"

Judge looked at each of them. He looked at Edge and Kyra longer than the other two, "It seems they're trying to hide their anger and a slight amount of fear," he mused with a small grin, "...and they're doing it quite well,"

Kyra's eye twitched, _What's this freak?_

"So," Caine cleared his throat, "Why have you two called us here?"

The woman, Oni, rose from her seat and looked right at Caine, "Judge and I are warning certain groups in the area,"

Caine raised an eyebrow, "Is that so?" he looked at Judge, "So, what is it? What is it you two are warning people about?"

Judge cleared his throat, "You have heard that Madro's back and has a stronger crew now, right?"

The Jade Rat sighed and nodded, "Yes, I have heard. I believe everyone who's older than these rookie pirates remembers him," he leaned forward, "I also remember that the Hanshi were once controlled by him...but why are you telling me something I already know?"

The woman, Oni, growled, "Because, old man, Madro's just the tip of the bloody iceberg!"

Kyra glared at her, but kept her cool for her master's sake, "So, what else is there to know?" she asked evenly.

"Since we worked for Stein for a number of years, we know some of his dealings," Oni began, "First, his friendship with a man called Jeremiah Cross. We've seen the two of them talk on many occasions and Caine...you know nothing good can come from those two talking,"

Caine frowned and nodded, "Yes...but I can't think of a reason for the two of them to talk to one another," he thought aloud.

"Well, there's worse news," Oni continued, "Behind the scenes, there's a man pulling all the strings,"

"Who?" Caine inquired.

Judge folded his arms, "Black Crow,"

The frown on Caine's face deepened. He rose from his seat and turned to leave, "Children, I believe it's our time to go,"

As they started to leave, Judge looked at the beer mug in front of him, "There's more to this, Caine, and it involves all of us!" he said loudly, "From my son to her sister,"

Kyra came to a complete halt, _Kirsty?_

The old man stopped and turned to face them again, "Tell me what you know,"

For a long time, Judge and Oni told Caine everything they knew about what was going on. As they talked, Kyra and her brothers listened carefully to each word they said. They all showed concern to some degree, but Kyra was obviously the one who was shaken up more than the others.

Their story drew to a close and Judge began to leave, followed by Oni. As they walked by, Judge looked at Caine and his students, "So, will you help when the time comes?".

"I can see why they call him 'Judge'...," Stick muttered before taking a drink of a beer he had gotten during the conversation, "Wonder where the Jury and Executioner are,"

"Yes. When the time comes and we are needed, we will help,"

"Thank you," Judge bowed his head and turned to leave, but stopped again, "Oh, can I ask a favor of you and your family, Caine?"

Kyra crossed her arms, "You could ask, but I doubt we'll do it,"

Judge ignored her, "If any of you meet my son, Meku and the group that he's with...tell him that his father says hi?"

_PFFFFFFFFFT!_

"Aw, dammit, Stick!" Buu wiped the backwashed alcohol off his face, "Damn, dude, suck it down, don't blow it out! Suck, don't blow!"

Kyra rolled her eyes, "That sounds _so_ wrong, you two,"

The blind staff martial artist turned to Judge, "He's...your son?!"

Caine could only smile at his family, but nodded, "Will do, Judge, will do,"

Judge and Oni left the bar and a few hours later, so did the Jade Rat at his family. Edge looked at his master, "Sensei, why did you just pledge our support to these people? You heard what they tried to do with Kyra's twin,"

"The Hanshi may be cold-blooded, but even they have some honor among them," Caine explained as he led his family away from the bar, "They are no longer apart of Madro's group, so they can be trusted,"

"Trusted or not, I'm not helping them one bit,"

Caine and the others turned to Kyra, who was picking her ear.

"Kyra, we promised-,"

"No, _you_ promised!" Kyra interrupted him, "Sensei, I'm glad you saved my life, I'm thankful you took me in as you daughter and raised me, but don't think that because of all that, I'm gonna go out of _my_ way and _my_ life just to help some freaks whose former boss is dealing with some friggin' psychopaths!"

Edge walked to her, "Kyra,"

"Back off, Edge!" she snapped, keeping her eyes on Caine, "Sensei, you're like a father to me, and I would gladly do everything in my power to make sure you live a long and happy life, and hell, I'd even avenge you if it was called for, but the only thing I'm gonna do with my life is be a pirate and to figure out this damn Dragon Legacy with my sister!"

Everyone became quiet after that outburst.

Kyra glared at them all, "I love ya guys, but it's my life. You can go and help these freaks if you want, but unless I actually decide to help out, ya'll can just piss off!"

Caine sighed as Kyra turned and went back to the bar, "Kyra...,"

Stick and Buu turned to their sister, surprised that she had talked to them like that.

The blind martial artist turned to Caine, "Is she having her period, or something?"

Edge moaned and held his head, "Idiots...,"

**-----**

_WHACK WHACK WHACK_

Azu shook his head as he continued to make repairs to the Tomahawk. He sat below deck, working on the final touches of the lower repairs, muttering and cursing every few moments about how this ship was treated. Sure, the damage to the bottom wasn't anyone's fault...unless he counted Dusty for screwing with the Sky Octopus. Because of her antics, the octopus released the ship too early and cracked the bottom badly. Only with Herman's help was he able to make decent timing on the repairs.

"Gotta finish so I can go up and replace the boards that Niri blew away with her damn shotgun," Azu pulled a nail from between his lips and began hammering it in, "Then, I gotta fill in that hole in the mast from her acid bullet," he sighed and shook his head, "For a captain, she can be reckless. Hehe...reminds me of Franky back home,"

_WHACK WHACK WHACK_

"Azu! Oi, Azu!"

The shipwright growled as Niri came down the stairs, "Yeah, Niri, what?!"

"When you're done with repairs, I have something to show you, so come see me when you're done,"

Azu placed his hammer down on the floor and stood up, facing the substitute captain, "Ya know, Niri, ever since you've got the role of Captain, you've been bossing me around like crazy! It's always 'Azu, fix this' or 'Azu, don't drink that, it might be poisonous!' or 'Azu, put some damn pants on!'. Dammit, Niri, I'm a man, let me live for once!"

Niri clicked her tongue, "Azu...,"

"WHAT?!"

The sharpshooter covered her eyes and pointed downward.

"Eh?" Azu looked down to find that he wasn't wearing anything below the belt, "Oh...hehe, that explains the draft I've been feeling," he winced a little and plucked something out of his cheeks, "...and the splinters,"

Idiot... Niri shook her head and walked back up the stairs, "Put some pants on and get back to the repairs, Azu. I don't want this ship to sink while I'm in charge, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it...,"

As Niri climbed back onto the top deck of the ship, she saw her nakama doing what they did best. DJ was at it again with his songs and music while Dusty was floating around in the air on a white orb that she had made with one of her new Ball Dials.

It had been a few days since they left the island where they participated in the Davy Back Fight with Dusty's old nakama, and life was same old, same old. Her nakama were still annoying at times, and she was still the one in charge while Devon and Axe were recuperating.

"Captain?"

Niri looked over her shoulder to see Chizuru walking up to her, carrying both a spyglass and a map in her hands, "Wassup, Chiz?"

The navigator tossed her the spyglass, "The Log Pose's next destination is coming closer,"

"Hm?" Niri caught the spyglass and looked through it to see a more than welcome sight in the distance, "Alright!" she turned to her nakama, "Island ho, guys!"

Dusty and DJ stopped what they were doing, "An island?"

Niri nodded and looked through the island, "Yeah, it's a big one, too! We're a good distance away, but I can already tell that we're in luck! Looks like there's a big city on it, too,"

"Oh, a big city," Chizuru smiled, running a hand through her hair before putting her hat back on, "That should be loaded with information,"

"Yeah. Big cities usually have money exchanging banks, so that means we can turn in the gold we got from Skypeia and see how much we can get for it," Niri rubbed her hands together excitedly, "Man...it's gonna be good to be rich again! Especially since a certain baka cost us the money we had,"

"I didn't do anything!"

"Not you, Dusty...,"

"Oh...I knew that," Dusty muttered as she rolled her orb their way, "Lemme see the island!"

Niri held up the spyglass, "Here ya go,"

"Thanks," Dusty swiped the spyglass away and looked through it.

"Do you see it?" Niri asked, pointing ahead, "It's right in front of us, and it's got a big mountain in the shape of a crescent moon on it. Kind of weird though, I've never seen an island like that, before,"

Chizuru looked at her map, "Hmm...the map says this island is called Kinmotsu Island,"

"Kinmotsu?" Niri walked behind Chizuru and looked at the map, "That's a tongue twister. What kind of island is it?"

Chizuru lowered the map and rubbed her arms, "Well, judging by the sudden drop in temperature, I'd say this is an Autumn Island,"

"That means we gotta wear warmer clothing, huh?"

"Indeed,"

Niri clapped her hands, "Alright guys, we're coming to a new place, time to get everything ready! It's an Autumn Island, so get dressed in the right clothes and then we'll decide who goes ashore,"

As the others went on to prepare, Dusty stayed on the deck. She stared at the island and as she did, the spyglass trembled in her hands. Dusty gulped and lowered the spyglass, her eyes wide.

"N-No w-way...it can't be...no way in hell can it be that island!"

-----

The entire group, minus Dusty, gathered in the dining room, discussing their plans for the island up ahead.

"Okay, so who's going with us?" Niri asked, looking around, "Kirsty?"

The doctor shook her head, "No. You guys go on ahead," she pointed to the Fishman chef, "Herman and I will stay behind. Devon and Axe are still recovering and they'll need plenty of food and rest before they're up and walking around again,"

Niri glanced at Axe, who was once again, stuffing his face with a plate of meat racks, "I think the first thing we'll buy with our new money is more food...,"

"YOSH!" Axe held up the now empty bone, meat bits still clinging to it, "Get lotsa meat, Niri-chan!"

Azu rubbed his chin, "I wonder what kind of drinks they have?"

The acting captain rolled her eyes and picked Pingu up as Sora jumped onto her shoulder, "Alright, so unless anyone else stays behind, the rest of us are going...," she trailed off and looked around, "Where's Dusty?"

"That kit gets into so much trouble on her own, she's probably hanging upside from the crow's nest,"

"I'll go get her," DJ rose from the table and walked out of the dining room. He looked around the front of the ship and when he didn't see Dusty in the last place he saw her, he began walking around the ship.

"Dusty-chan!" he called out, "Dusty-chan, we're going ashore here in a bit, you wanna come with us?"

When he didn't get an answer, he approached the girls' cabin and knocked on the door, "Dusty-chan, are you in there? It's DJ,"

"...what is it, DJ?"

DJ frowned. He may not have heard her perfectly because of the door, but he knew something was up because Dusty's voice was shaking.

"Dusty-chan, I'm coming in," he said loudly, pushing the door open a little bit.

Before he could even see a glimpse of the room, the door suddenly slammed shut, forcing DJ to step back.

"Stay out, DJ!" she shouted, "Just stay out and leave me alone!"

DJ was taken back. He turned the knob a little, "Dusty-chan, what's wrong?"

"Nothing...,"

"Dusty-chan-,"

"That's nothing wrong with me, god dammit, just leave me alone!" the kitsune screamed, "Just leave me the hell alone!!!"

Now DJ was really surprised. Sure, Dusty had her days where she was antsy or pissed off for some reason, but today was weird, even for her.

"Dusty-chan, I just wanted to know if you wanna come ashore-,"

"HELL NO! I AM NOT LEAVING THIS SHIP, I AM NOT STEPPING A SINGLE FOOT ON THIS ISLAND, AND I'M NOT COMING OUT UNTIL WE LEAVE THIS PLACE!!!"

DJ stood there, silently. Something was very wrong with the girl he loved, but he knew that he shouldn't push it.

"Well...okay, but we're leaving," he said quietly, "Herman and Kirsty are staying behind, so you'll have them for company...,"

Nothing came from the other side of the door.

"Uhm...later," DJ turned and walked along the deck, his hands in his pockets, _Dusty-chan, what's the matter? I've never seen you like this before..._

On the other side of the door to the girls' cabin, Dusty sat on the floor, her back up against the door and her head buried in her arms and knees.

_DJ-kun...I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. I can't tell any of you anything. I just want to get away from this place as soon as possible!_

The room was soon filled with the quiet sobbing of the fox-girl.

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: Alright, this one is done! Things are getting interesting and it's only the first chapter of the main arc! Wonder what's going on? Stay tuned!**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Niri: Man, this place is huge! C'mon, boys, let's go get some moolah!**

**DJ: This place looks like a modernized city, but the people live by very old traditions. **

**Azu: What's up with the women around here?**

**Chizuru: This place is an ally of the World Government, but they don't seem frightened of us pirates or the outlaws on these posters.**

**Kinmo, City of Superstition **

**Niri: This woman is worth 75,000,000 Beli? Must be one helluva thief to earn _that_ kind of bounty!**


	10. Kinmo, City of Superstition

**Kinmo, City of Superstition**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"Lord Zev, there is a ship anchoring in the harbor,"

"Oh? Another trade ship?"

"No, milord, it's a pirate ship,"

"Oh, is that all? Thank you, my dear,"

The maid gave a curtsy and exited the large hall where a man and a woman sat on large, very comfortable and ornate chairs. The man was in his mid-forties, was taller than most men, had a well-toned body and short red hair. The woman beside him was in her early thirties, had a mane of beautiful red hair, a slim, curvy body that showed off her...assets...quite well. They were each dressed in rich clothing and were very well groomed. No doubt these were people who lived the lives of royalty, or at least, very wealthy people.

"A pirate ship coming into the harbor, hm?" the woman took the man's hand and placed it against her smooth cheek, "We haven't seen many of them in awhile, Zevvy,"

The man, Zev, nodded, "I know, love. But we shouldn't worry. If they tried anything, our forces are more than capable enough to handle sea bandits. Besides, we're protected by the World Government. Anything against us would be foolish because the Government would send aid, Lian,"

The woman looked up at her husband, "Our clan has come a long way in the centuries, hasn't it, Zevvy?"

"Yes, it has, love. We may have lost a little of our gift, but we're just as strong as ever,"

-----

"Bye, guys! We'll be back soon!"

Niri and the others waved back at Kirsty and Herman as they walked along the harbor dock. Azu, Austin and Pingu carried the large sack of gold they got back at Skypeia while Niri, DJ, and Chizuru took the lead, Sora sitting comfortable in Niri's ammo bag.

As they left the docks, they all saw their first look of the city on the island. The buildings were tall and finely made. The streets were covered with cobblestones, colorful signs covered a number of buildings, and the streets were filled with people who were no doubt going about their daily routine.

"Man, this place is huge!" Niri gasped, taking in the sights as they walked down the streets. It didn't take them long to reach what appeared to be the main square, and when they did, the first building that caught Niri's attention was a large building with the Beli dollar symbol painted on the front. She grinned and pointed ahead, "C'mon, boys, let's go get some moolah!"

Austin shifted the weight on his back, About damn time...

While the others waited outside, Azu, Austin, Pingu, Sora and Niri went inside to get the Sky Island gold turned into Beli. When they unloaded the gold, the workers at the exchange gawked at the horde and led them to a VIP room. There, the manager inspected each relic and sat there, amazed what the horde of gold.

"So, how much do we get?" Niri asked, crossed her legs, looking professional, "This is gold from at least 400 years ago, and it's in pristine condition. It should be at 150,000,000 Beli at least,"

The owner nodded, "Indeed, good lady! But, I'm afraid that I can't talk to you about the exchange,"

Niri frowned, "Why the hell not?"

"Because, it's not right in our city for that to happen," the owner turned to Azu, who was picking his nose, "Sir, how would you like the money?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on!" Niri waved her hands and stepped between the two men, "Listen, pal. _I'm_ in charge here, alright? You talk to anyone about this money, it's _me_!"

The owner looked at her, then leaned to the side, "Sir, could you control the woman?"

Niri's eyebrow twitched, "Control...the...woman?!"

"Hey, don't ask me, man," Azu held up his hands, "I've tried to be the dominant one with these chicks, but I usually got my ass kicked,"

-Some time later-

"DAMMIT!"

After a little incident inside, Niri and the others were escorted outside...without their money or their gold. The acting captain of the crew shouted obscenities at the building and the people inside while her nakama hung back, safe out of her shouting zone.

DJ turned to Azu, "What the hell happened in there?" he asked, "We heard screams, furniture breaking, swearing, pleads for mercy...,"

Azu shrugged, "Oh, the guy was an asshole. He said only men could talk about the money and take the money while the women should just be seen and not heard,"

"What?" DJ glanced at Niri, who was being held back by Chizuru, who was holding her back because she was about to throw a large trashcan through the window in her anger, "Geez...that's an idiotic thing to do. Niri must be pissed at that,"

"Well, that and being tossed out without any money," Azu shook his head and stuffed his hands in his pockets, "We better be careful,"

"Yeah, no shit,"

-----

"Lord Zev!"

The middle-aged man looked up from his breakfast to see another maid had come into the dining room.

"Yes?" he asked, moving his fork around his breakfast, "What is it? You know it's not polite to disturb breakfast,"

The maid bowed her head, "Forgive me, Lord Zev, but there's been an incident in Kinmo,"

"Oh? What sort of incident?"

"A group of people from the pirate ship stirred up trouble at the money exchange building in the town square. Apparently, one of the women stepped out of her place and tried to rob them,"

Zev put down his fork and leaned back in his chair, "Is that so? Has anything been done about it?"

"Not yet, milord. Normally, the soldiers would have done something by now, but they wanted to know if they should do anything against these pirates,"

The older man became quiet and rubbed the stubble on his chin, "Hm...odd, they usually go off and enforce the laws by themselves. Why would they want my permission? Are these people more dangerous than the other outlaws that have visited the island?"

"Well, milord, we have seen bounty posters matching these people. They have decent sized bounties, and if the intelligence is correct, then they belong to a dangerous pirate crew,"

"What crew?"

"The Axe-Head Pirates, milord. They're the ones who escaped and destroyed Slayheim Fortress,"

Zev went quiet again. He and his family had heard of that incident in the paper and from Marines who stopped at the island awhile back. Now, those same pirates were supposedly here, at their island.

"Milord?"

The middle-aged man rose from his seat and kissed his wife on the cheek, "My love, I'm afraid I'll have to skip breakfast for today," he walked over to the maid who interrupted their meal while other maids cleaned up after him, "I want to see the bounty posters for these criminals and then I want Murai to take some of his men and take them into custody,"

The maid curtsied, "As you wish, milord. I'll let Murai know at once,"

-----

"Lousy sonsofbitches...wait until I get my dynamite from the ship! I'll pay them a visit for a nightly donation and blow the shit outta that place and take every cent and every piece of gold they have! Who's with me?!"

"HONK!"

Chizuru sweatdropped at little, "I advise you not to do something so rash, Niri,"

"Why the hell not?!"

The navigator stopped walking and pointed to a nearby building, "That's why not,"

Everyone followed her finger to see a sign plastered against the side of the building. It looked like a black cross with four circles, one on each end of it.

"That's the World Government's insignia," Chizuru explained, "This place is an ally of the World Government," she glanced around at the citizens, who were walking around, seemingly ignoring them all, "But they don't seem frightened of us pirates or the outlaws on these posters,"

DJ blinked, "What posters?"

Chizuru pointed to the building again.

Once again, everyone followed her finger to see a collection of WANTED posters hanging on the wall, just under the WG mark.

"How the hell did we miss that?" Azu mumbled, scratching his head.

Niri walked over to the poster wall and scanned it, looking at every single poster, "Hmm...what do we got here?"

Most of the posters were of people they didn't recognize, but it didn't matter if they did because they all had large X's painted over them. No doubt these people were either dead or imprisoned, their bounties worthless now.

One poster caught Niri's eye. It had the picture of a very attractive woman with long black hair and blue eyes. Though she didn't know this woman, she knew by the look in her eyes that she was a thief. She was able to recognize the look of thieves, especially since she was one and after hanging out with Nami during the Alabasta incident.

**WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE  
Carmen Isabela aka "Lady in Red"  
Reward: 75,000,000 Beli**

"This woman is worth 75,000,000 Beli? Man, she must be one helluva thief to earn _that_ kinda bounty!"

Chizuru glanced at the poster, "Impressive...,"

"Maybe the reason they're not afraid of us is because they don't know us?" Niri thought aloud, "I don't see our posters here...or maybe it's because they're a part of the World Government that they didn't panic when our ship made port,"

"Hey, guys, check this out...,"

Niri turned to see DJ staring at the crowd, a confused look on his face. The sharpshooter looked out at the crowd and soon saw what he saw. Men and women filled the streets, much like any other city, but the women were different than most women they've seen in their travels. They all followed the men, carried bags while the men carried hardly anything, and they didn't speak until they were spoken to.

Another thing that made the pirates interested in the citizens was an incident where one woman dropped her groceries. The food spilled out onto the street, and she bent down, but instead of picking them up right away, she grabbed some salt that spilled on the cobblestones and threw it over her shoulder, muttering something inaudible.

"What the heck is with these women?" Azu wondered, scratching his head again, "They're acting like mules for their men, and they throw salt over their shoulder after spilling food?"

DJ crossed his arms, "I recognize the salt tossing thing. In many cultures, it's a good luck ritual. If you throw salt over your shoulder, you hit a demon in the eye and ward them off. In other places, salts are used for purifying rituals in temples, as well as protection against those who do evil,"

"How does _that_ work?" Azu asked him.

The swordsman shrugged, "You just grab salt and make a circle of protection around yourself. Supposedly, this gives you a barrier against evil," he kept looking ahead, watching the woman pick up her bags and walk briskly down the street, "This place is modernized by most islands standards, but they still follow very old traditions,"

"It's not a crime to do that," Chizuru pointed out, "Many people follow old traditions for many reasons,"

Niri rubbed her eyes, "Look, let's just forget the weird people and get back to the ship, alright? Maybe we can think of a plan to get the gold and the money...," she sighed, "This island sucks! I've only been here for an hour, and it sucks!"

As they walked back down the street to the harbor, two figures watched them from the darkness.

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: This chapter is done and it seems there's something weird going on with this island. Wonder what's up?**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Axe: So...I take it there's no meat?**

**Niri: Where are my explosives? I'm gonna blow that place a new one!**

**Devon: The men have a hold over the women here? Hmm, I have an idea...**

**Herman: Why are people frightened of me? They act like they've never seen a Fishman before.**

**Enter Murai, Zanbato General**

**DJ: Now _that_ is a big sword...**


	11. Enter Murai, Zanbato General

**Enter Murai, Zanbato General**

**Kilnorc: Don't own One Piece.**

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

When they got back to the Tomahawk, Niri and Azu told them about what happened in the money exchange building, then DJ and Chizuru told them what happened with the women and the salt tossing. After they finished their stories, Axe sat quietly for a long time, obviously thinking the events over carefully. Finally, he looked up at his nakama.

"So...I take it there's no meat?"

_BOOM!_

Axe fell over to the floor after being blasted in the face by Niri's shotgun.

"That was uncalled for!"

"No, it was," Niri snorted, holstering her shotgun, "Baka," she looked at him as he got to his feet, "We're completely broke now, we can't set sail because of the Log Pose, and we need food, but have no money! What the hell are we gonna do?"

"Hey, no seastone this time," Axe mumbled as he plucked shrapnel from his face, "As for what we do next, I don't know. Chizuru, you said this place is an ally of the World Government?"

The navigator nodded, "Aye, captain,"

"And these people aren't frightened by outlaws such as ourselves. We should be good until we figure out a plan...just as long as no one stirs up trouble,"

Azu, Austin, Pingu, Chizuru and Sora looked at Niri. Axe looked at them, then at his friend, "Niri...?"

The sharpshooter looked away, "There...was a small incident at the exchanging building,"

"What kind of incident?"

Niri shrugged, "Nothing too bad. Just kinda wailed on the owner for not respecting me,"

Axe moaned and slapped himself in the face, "Niri...,"

"Hey, he was asking for it!" Niri huffed before walking for the door, "Where are my explosives? I'm gonna blow that place a new one!"

After Niri stormed out, Axe sighed and climbed back into his seat, "Well, this is an interesting predicament. We're broke, stranded for now, and the island is friendly to the World Government, who frown upon our kind...,"

"Not too mention the women here!" Kirsty folded her arms, eyebrow twitched, "Men having more privileges than them, it's not right,"

DJ nodded, "I totally agree with you, Kirsty-san!"

"Of course you agree with her about women being mistreated, Macleod," Devon grinned and looked away, "Seeing as your a woman yourself,"

"Why you-!"

Kirsty came between the two of them before DJ had a chance to go after Devon, "Don't start, you two! We already have problems, we don't need nakama killing each other!" she rubbed her eyes, "We need a plan, or we're gonna be in trouble sooner than we thought because of Niri's recklessness,"

The room became quiet as everyone thought over their situation. No gold meant no money, no money meant no food, no food meant starvation, and starvation meant death. Not to mention, the possibility of law enforcement coming for them sooner or later.

"The men have a hold over the women here? Hmm" Devon hummed for a few moments before snapping his fingers loudly, "I have an idea!"

Everyone looked at him, "Really?"

Devon nodded, "Yeah...but someone's not gonna like it," he glanced at Kirsty, who gave him a look.

"Aw, crap...,"

"Just trust me on this, alright?" Devon said quickly, "We're gonna need Niri and Chizuru to work with us on this," he looked Chizuru, "You with me?"

Chizuru nodded, "Anything for survival. Don't worry, I'll do what I can to convince Niri,"

"Thanks...," Devon ran a hand through his hair and wrapped his arms around Kirsty, "If you can just bear with me through this, I'll make it up to you," he promised.

Kirsty eyed him and clicked her tongue, "How?"

"Anyway that I can,"

The doctor smiled, "That I can work with,"

Devon looked at her smile and reared his head back, "Now, I'm nervous,"

-----

After a long and rough time of convincing Niri, Devon and the other girls, save Dusty who was still locked up in the girls' cabin, went back to the money exchange building. Niri was going to hate doing Devon's plan, but it was the only way they could get their money.

The owner looked at Devon warily, then at the females around him, "These women...they are yours?"

Devon nodded, "Yes, they are. As you can see, most of them are well behaved as they should be," he glanced at Niri, who had a sour look on her face, "However, she's still learning her place. Forgive her, sir, she's very stubborn and thinks she's the one in charge. I'm terribly sorry that she caused you trouble,"

"I'm sorry, but how do I know you're telling the truth?" the owner asked, skeptical of the story he had been told.

"Would an apology make you believe me?" Devon offered, "I really want to get this mess behind us, and I also want our...my money. My men and I are in need of supplies for our journey, and we entrusted this one," he glared at Niri, "To retrieve our money with one of our nakama, but her selfish attitude cost us time,"

"Well...," the owner tapped his desk a few times, "I know that you people are pirates, I saw your ship in the harbor. But, I am a businessman, so I will give you your money and not report you,"

Devon smiled and gave a short nod, "Thank you, my good man,"

"But I will tell you a few things first," the man leaned forward, a stern look on his face, "When you leave this building, I have no power over what happens out there,"

"Of course,"

"I will want an apology from the woman," the owner pointed to Niri, "But a piece of advice, sir. While you are here, I strongly advise you to keep her disciplined! Only a few privileged women on this island can live like they wish, but it's law that other women should obey their men without question!"

Devon nodded, "I hear that...gah!"

Kirsty's nails dug into his skin from under the table.

"Something wrong, sir?"

Devon slowly shook his head, "Leg cramp,"

"Ah...well then," the owner rose from his seat and walked to the door, "Right this way to your money, sir,"

As they followed him, Niri leaned over to Devon and dropped her voice, "I'm going...to kick...your...ass...,"

-----

After retrieving the money for their gold, they returned to the ship and divided the money up into large piles, each one meant for supplies or for safekeeping. When it was divvied up, some of the crew left the ship again. This time, Niri stayed behind so she wouldn't lose it, while Herman went with the others. Pingu and Sora stayed with her, so Austin and Azu went with the rest.

They expected an easy time, gathering supplies and new maps and clothes...but as soon as people saw Herman, they screamed something about a demon and fled. Soon, the streets they were standing in were empty.

"Why are people frightened of me?" he wondered, eyestalks going around, "They act like they've never see a Fishman before...and what the hell was all that talk about a demon?"

Chizuru looked around the empty streets, "DJ, you said these people may practice purification with salt, right?"

"Yeah...so?"

The navigator glanced at Herman, "What if, they don't just practice salt rituals? I've read about some cultures, even though they've advanced through time, they hold onto their religions no matter what. Maybe, if this is one of those islands, they never saw a Fishman before and thought Herman was a demon of some kind?"

DJ scratched his head, "That makes sense, I guess. I mean, Herman is big, scary and red...just like many demons in some religions,"

Herman facefaulted, "I've been called a demon and I've been compared to them all in one day...," he clicked his tongue, "...and I thought it was gonna be boring,"

"Sorry, big guy," Chizuru patted him on the shoulder, "Let's go look for some supplies, okay?"

"How are we gonna do that if they get freaked out by me?" Herman asked her, "You saw what those people did when they saw me. They ran first and asked questions never!"

"He's gotta point," Azu agreed as they walked through the empty streets, "We can't shop for supplies with him out in the open, but we can't go food shopping without him because he's the chef!"

Chizuru looked up at the sky, "Man, I thought when we got the money, we'd have the problems fixed, but now they're worse,"

"Uhm...and that just went up a level. Look,"

The navigator brought her head down and looked ahead to see a large group of men in armor, carrying swords walking towards them. One man, obviously the leader, walked ahead of them. He was a very large man with red hair, a pair of cold blue eyes and powerful muscles bulging under his armor. On his back, was a weapon, but they couldn't see what it was from there. The large man and his soldiers stopped a short way from the pirates.

"You belong to the Axe-Head Pirate crew, don't you?" he demanded in a gravelly voice.

Chizuru nodded, "We're only here to stop for supplies, we don't want any trouble,"

The man glared at her, "A woman does not speak unless given permission!" he barked.

Hate that law... Chizuru thought, eyebrow twitching.

"We heard that your group caused some trouble earlier," the man reached for his weapon, "I am Murai, General of Kinmotsu's Army and I place you all under arrest!"

Herman held up his hands, "Please, we don't want trouble! It was all a misunderstanding...,"

"Silence, demon!" Murai pulled his weapon off his back and held it outward, showing it to the criminals. It was a large sword, with a long handle and an even longer blade. It looked like a much longer version of a katana. The entire length of the blade was roughly the size of the man, who was about six feet.

DJ whistled, "Now _that_ is a big sword...,"

"This isn't just any kind of sword!" Murai pointed the weapon at him, "This is a zanbato. It's a sword made specifically for use on horseback and is know as the "horse-slayer", but I am able to wield it like any other blade. I'm giving you all one chance to surrender,"

"This is ridiculous," Herman began walking towards them, "We're pirates, yes, but we're peaceful pirates, so there isn't any-,"

"Too late," Murai interrupted him and within a blink of an eye, he disappeared from his previous spot and reappeared behind them, "_Kitsune of the Crescent Moon..._,"

Murai rose to his feet and hefted his zanbato over his shoulder as the pirates fell over to the ground unmoving. He looked over at them, "I used the back of my sword. Be grateful that Lord Zev is merciful...if I had my way, you would've died here and now," he looked up at his group of soldiers, "Take them to the holding cells!"

The soldiers saluted and dragged the pirates away. Murai snorted and looked at the harbor, "That was too easy. Maybe I'll get a challenge from the rest of their friends,"

He started walking to the harbor when something flew past his face. Murai came to a stop and looked down to see a shuriken stuck fast between the cobblestones. He looked up at a nearby building to see a woman dressed in a skintight bodysuit, her face covered by a half mask.

"What are you doing here, child?" Murai demanded, "Lord Zev gave this order to me!"

"Things have changed, General Murai," the woman snapped at him, "Watch your tongue with me, or I'll make things bad for you and your men,"

"Why you...!"

"The priestess have shown us a vision. We are to report back to the palace immediately, Murai. We will take the pirates you've just rendered unconscious, but we will leave the others alone for now,"

Murai growled, "If he wishes it, then I will obey his command,"

The woman smiled behind her mask, "Good boy...," she whispered before vanishing from sight.

"Damn ninja," Murai sheathed his zanbato and began to follow his men, "She's damn lucky!"

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: Alright, the next chapter is done! Seems things are going from bad to worse for our pirate heroes...what's in store for them? Stay tuned!**

**Preview! -clicks remote-**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Kirsty: It's getting late, where are those guys?**

**Axe: I'm getting a bad vibe from this place...**

**DJ: Where's Austin? **

**Chizuru: They've taken Herman somewhere...they said something about purifying the evil from the city!**

**Missing Nakama! Mystery of Kinmo**

**DJ: This place just keeps getting weirder and weirder... **


	12. Missing Nakama! Mystery of Kinmo

**Missing Nakama! Mystery of Kinmo**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Night had fallen on Kinmotsu Island harbor, and the rest of the Axe-Head pirates waited patiently for their nakama to return to the ship. Though, they had been waiting for some time...

"It's getting late," Kirsty checked her watch, "Where are those guys? All we needed was food, a big enough supply of wood to keep our repairs in the green...all the basic stuff, but they're not back yet,"

"Yeah, something's not right," Devon agreed, "Austin's out there with them, and he knows that I worry about him, even when he's with the others,"

Kirsty patted him on the back, "I'm sure they're okay...DJ and Herman are with them,"

"Herman, I know that he can handle himself, but Macleod doesn't even have a weapon with him. It's bad enough we trust him with protecting nakama when he does have a sword...,"

"Why are you always putting DJ down?"

Devon scratched his head, "For one thing, he needs criticism so it pushes him further to become stronger,"

"Any other reasons?"

"Yeah. It's damn fun to do!"

Kirsty smacked him upside the head.

"OW!" Devon rubbed his head and glared at her, "What the hell?"

"Oh, that reminds me," Niri walked over to him, "Devon...,"

Before Devon could even turn to face her, Niri swiftly brought her foot up right in between his legs. The blonde nittoryu user gasped and crumpled to the floor, holding his groin.

Axe winced, "Niri, that was a low blow...,"

Kirsty slapped herself in the face, "Oh man,"

"Hey! That's what he gets for making me go along with that idiotic, sexist idea!" Niri snorted loudly and turned around, "WHERE THE HELL ARE THOSE GUYS?!"

"That's a very good question," Axe rose up from the dining room table and looked out the nearest window, "I don't know if it's the air around here, or the lack of city noise outside the ship...I'm getting a bad vibe from this place,"

Niri nodded, "Tell me about it. I had a bad vibe ever since I stepped foot into the city. Call me crazy-,"

"You _are_ crazy!" Devon wheezed, earning a kick to the face by Pingu.

"But, I think Dusty's got the same vibe. She's been locked in our room ever since we came here. She won't come out, and she won't let anyone in,"

Axe frowned, "Why?"

Niri shrugged, "Beats the hell out of me, but she swears up and down that she won't come out until we leave,"

Her captain gave a small growl and folded his arms, "What the hell is going on here?!"

-----

"Zev, the pirates have been detained for many hours now, but they haven't woken up yet,"

Zev looked at Murai, "How much power did you put into that attack of yours, Murai?"

"I only used the dull edge of my zanbato!" the general said defensively, "The knockout period for each victim is different, Zev, so don't you go put blame on me!"

"Watch your tongue, Murai!" Lian scolded, "That is no way to talk to your older brother!"

Murai glared at Lian, "You should talk, sister!"

"ENOUGH!" Zev barked, waving a hand, "That is enough! We will not fill the halls of our family with petty bickering!"

Lian and Murai went silent.

Zev turned to the general, "Murai, have the child and the Fishman been taken care of?"

Murai nodded, "Just like every other one, brother,"

"Good," Zev sat back in his chair and sighed, "It's bad enough our island is tormented by that confounded thief in red, we have to deal with these leftover outlaws! Have Ayane and her ninja's been keeping an eye on their boat?"

Again, the general nodded, "Yes, but there hasn't been any movement outside the ship. No doubt, they're waiting for their friends,"

"Just as we are waiting for the right time," Zev rubbed his chin, "Interesting luck, though. The great goddess Inari must be blessing us lately. First, we find one of his old nakama, then we find the other one,"

Murai grinned, "Inari has truly blessed us,"

"Indeed," Lian chuckled, "Murai, go down to the city, make sure that there's no late night visits by that woman, and if you see Ayane, tell her that her mother and father wish her luck,"

The large man snorted and walked off, waving at the two of them, "Yeah, yeah,"

After Murai left the room, Lian took her husband's hand and stroked, "Do you really think we'll have another incident from the woman in red?"

"She may claim to be a thief of artifacts, but no thief can resist gold. If word has reached her in her hole that a large collection of gold has been recently come to the island, then for sure she will come tonight,"

-----

When DJ came around, the first thing he noticed was the immense pain filling his skull. He groaned and tried to feel his head, but he found that he couldn't move his arms much. Slowly, DJ opened his eyes to find himself in a small, darkened cell, complete with large iron bars in front of him.

"Aw, man, what him me?" DJ shook his head a little, "I feel like Pingu just headbutted me,"

"I was wondering when you'd wake up, DJ,"

The musician swordsman lifted his head at the sound of his nakama's voice, "Chizuru? Where are you? Where are we?"

"I'm in the cell next to you, by the sound of it. As for where we are...it looks like we're in some kind of jail,"

DJ moaned again and looked around to find that his arms were chained to the wall behind him, "Yeah, looks like it. Where's Austin, have you heard from him?"

"DJ...,"

"Oh, yeah," the brunette winced at his mistake, "Right. Well, do you know if he's awake?"

"He's not here, DJ,"

"What? Then where is he?"

"I don't know. I can't hear his thoughts anywhere. The only thing I'm picking up is sorrow and hatred,"

"Well, yeah, we're in prison or something, of course there'd be sorrow and hatred," DJ cracked, "What about Herman or Azu?"

"I'm here," the voice of his friend came from the other side of his other cell wall, "Funny. I wake up with a major headache and it's one of my rare, non-hangover headaches,"

DJ grinned, _Glad to see Azu's coping with this. Okay, so lemme see if I get this..._ he looked to one side, _Chizuru is on that side and Azu's on that side_, he turned to the other wall, _But where are Austin and Herman?_

"They've taken Herman somewhere," Chizuru said loudly, startling DJ, "The people who took him...they said something about purifying the evil from the city!"

"Purifying evil from the city?" Azu repeated from his cell, "Think that has something to do with the salt thingy from earlier?"

"Perhaps, but we won't be able to find out from in here...,"

DJ tugged at his chains, "Well, does anyone have any ideas?"

Both sides of his cell were quiet.

"We're boned, aren't we?"

"For now?" Chizuru nodded slowly, "Yeah, we're boned,"

Dammit... DJ sighed, "This city has bad laws for women, we're locked up somewhere, Herman was called a demon, and now he and Austin are missing...this place just keeps getting weirder and weirder,"

"Trust me, kid, it's gonna get a lot more weirder than you know...,"

DJ lifted his head at the new voice, "Who's there?!"

-----

_"Listen to me, Dusty, and listen very closely,"_

_"Okay, Daddy,"_

_"I love you and your mother very much,"_

_"I know, Daddy,"_

_"...and I would do anything to protect you. But I have to tell you something very, very important,"_

_"What is it, Daddy?"_

_"Beware the island with a crescent moon shaped mountain! If you ever see that island, you get away as fast as possible! Don't look back, and just run, do you understand?!"_

Dusty opened her eyes and found herself on her bed in the cabin. It was dark in the girls' cabin, but she didn't care. She hugged her legs and closed her eyes, _I want to leave, Daddy, but I can't...not right now._

A loud knocking made Dusty nearly jump out of her skin.

She turned to the door, "Who is it?" she asked slowly.

"Kit, it's me," Devon's voice came from the other side.

"I'm not coming out, and I don't wanna talk to you guys,"

"Well, we can't exactly get DJ in there right now, so you're out of options. Look, you need to come out,"

"No!"

Devon sighed, "Kit, it's important and an order from Axe,"

"Bite me!"

The blonde swordsman groaned and rubbed his eyes, "I can slice this door open, ya know. You can either open it and let me talk, or I can bust on in and make you listen,"

Dusty became quiet.

"Kit?"

The sound of footsteps was heard, along with what Devon could swear were insulting curses aimed at him, and the door was soon opened. Before he had a chance to ask her something, Dusty poked her head out and looked around quickly.

"Talk fast," she whispered in a hushed voice.

_What's with her?_ Devon shook his head, "Look, the captain and the others are worried about you-,"

"They shouldn't be,"

"Well, they are and we think something's happened to DJ and the others,"

Dusty looked right into his eyes and Devon could see raw fear in hers.

"Dusty, what's wrong?"

Instead of giving an answer, Dusty withdrew back into the cabin room and slammed the door behind her.

"Dammit...," Devon pounded on the door, "Dusty!"

"Go away, Devon! Just go away!"

The First Mate stood outside the door for a few moments, then walked off, "Well, I tried,"

-----

When Herman finally came to, he found himself in dark water. He recognized the feel of water as it flowed around his shell and his limbs, but he couldn't see due to his lack of light.

Where am I? he thought as he began to swim around, The last thing I remember was being in the city, so how'd I end up being in water?

As he swam, a bright flash of light suddenly filled the water. Herman covered his stalks, momentarily blinded.

"Dammit!" he winced, "What's going on?"

**"Glad to see you're awake,"** a loud, distorted voice greeted him, **"Seems that Murai's attack did more damage to you than it did your friends,"**

_Friends?!_ Herman lowered his hands to see that he was floating in what looked like a large tank filled with sea water. In front of him, were not only the source of the bright lights, but a large panel of glass. Behind that panel stood a large group of people in white coats, holding clipboards. Doctors of some kind, obviously.

Herman sped towards the window, "Where am I? Where are my friends?!"

One of the doctors held a Den Den Mushi microphone in his hand and brought it up to his mouth, **"You don't need to worry about your friends, they're fine...for now,"**

Herman growled and looked around. He could see speakers coming out of the tank's walls and wires coming out the other end, connecting to the Den Den Mushi in the doctor's hands.

_So, that's how they're able to talk to me,_ he realized, _Sound can be heard much more clearly under the water, so they put speakers and connected a Den Den Mushi so they can speak to me..._

Herman turned back to the window, "Who are you, and what do you want?" he demanded.

The doctor smiled, **"We'd just like to get to know you better, 'Crimson Claw Herman'...,"**

_They know my bounty name...does that mean they're bounty hunters? I've never seen bounty hunters who looked like doctors before. What the hell?_

"Who are you people?"

**"We're just men and women who are curious about the world around us,"** the doctor replied casually, **"You and the others like you are going to help us _tremendously_!"**

_Others like me?_ Herman frowned, "What do you mean by that!?"

**"Look behind you,"**

The lobster Fishman swiveled his eyestalks around and gasped when he saw what was behind him. Merpeople and Fishpeople were floating around in the water behind him. Young and old, male and female...the group was rather varied. Herman growled and looked back at the people behind the glass. All of them looked asleep.

"What the hell is this?! What did you do to them?!" he shouted.

**"We didn't do anything,"** the doctor said a little defensively, **"Not directly, anyway. They're all just worn out from their routines. Personally? I think this experiment is a complete waste of time, but hey, money is money,"**

"_Experiment_?" Herman repeated, "What experiment?"

**"Oh, you'll find out soon enough. I wonder how much pain you can take though? We rarely kill anyone through the experimentation, but we do tend to wear the subjects out so much, that it takes them longer to reach our goal,"** the doctor checked his watch and sighed, **"It's late. We'll get a start on you in the morning right after the 'purifying ritual', hehe. Goodnight, Fishman,"**

Before Herman could say or ask anything, the tank went dark again.

Outside the tank, the group of scientists walked down a large, white paneled hall. The one who held the Den Den Mushi rubbed his eyes and yawned, "It's gonna be a long day tomorrow,"

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: Man, there is some seriously freakishly weird things going on here! WTF is wrong with this place, where's Austin, and what is this so-called experiment Herman was told about?!**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Kirsty: Come on, we have to go look for them, they didn't come back at all last night!**

**Niri: That place had a break-in and every piece of gold was taken?**

**Devon: That shell fragment...what they did they do them?!**

**Axe: A temple shrine? Here? **

**But Wait, It Gets Worse!**

**???: You kids made a big mistake, coming here... **


	13. But Wait, It Gets Worse!

**But Wait, It Gets Worse!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

The sun rose over the sea's horizon and as the Axe-Heads entered the galley and dining room for breakfast, they noticed that their nakama were still absent from the ship. If they got back late, then they would understand, but when they found no trace of their friends the next day...it was time to get serious.

Kirsty slammed her hands down on the table, a serious look on her face.

"Come on, we have to go look for them!" she urged the rest of her nakama, "They didn't come back at all last night!"

Axe yawned and grabbed a bottle of soda from the fridge, "I know, Kirsty, I know. I agree with ya, something's not right, but we just can't go off, half-cocked into the city. We might cause a scene,"

"Our friends, no, our family is missing and all you care about is causing a scene?!"

The treasure hunter slurped his drink, "If there's one thing I've learned from Rayo is to use your head-,"

"Which I don't think you've done very often,"

"Shaddup, Niri,"

_BOOM!_

"Okay, seriously, that is getting _really_ old!"

Kirsty growled and turned to Niri, "You're still acting captain, right?!"

"Yeah," Niri nodded, "I am...right, Axe?"

"Yeah, yeah," Axe muttered as he plucked metal shavings out of his face, "One of these days, these things are gonna stick...,"

Kirsty rolled her eyes, "Listen, if you're still acting captain, then you have a say in this, Niri! What do you think we should do?"

Niri held her chin in thought, "Well, obviously, something's wrong here. I mean, it's not like them to do something like this-,"

"HA!" Kirsty clapped her hands, "Come on, let's go kick some ass!"

She started walking towards the door, but was stopped when Niri grabbed her by the collar.

"We'll go look for them, but we'll keep it quiet and keep it simple!" Niri finished, "That way, we can do a search, and not cause a riot," she looked at Axe, "That alright?"

Axe nodded as he finished up his shrapnel excavation, "Sounds good to me," he rose from his seat and cracked his neck, "Saddle up, boys and girls, we're going hunting,"

-----

"Think Dusty will be okay by herself?"

"Yeah. Besides, she's still refusing to step off the ship, so she'd be a good ship guard,"

"But, she hasn't come out yet,"

"Well, it ain't like we got a lot of options here, ya know,"

With Axe and Niri taking the lead, the remaining Axe-Heads roamed the streets of Kinmo, looking all around for their missing nakama. When they reached the center, Niri turned to her friends.

"Alright, here's the plan. We're obviously gonna be looking all over this place for them, so it makes sense to split up and look for any trace of them, right?"

They all nodded.

"Axe, you take the north end,"

"Gotcha,"

"Pingu, Sora, and myself will take the east side," she pointed to Devon, "You take the south side and Kirsty," she pointed to her now, "You take the west side. Any questions?"

Devon nodded, "I know we can find them through our own ways, but how will you look for them, Niri?"

Niri grinned and pulled out a shirt from her bag, "This is one of Austin's shirts. Since he was traveling with them, all I have to do is get Sora to smell this and see if a scent picks up,"

"Oh...makes sense,"

"Good, now c'mon...our friends are out there somewhere, so let's go find them and bring them home!"

"AYE!"

-----

"You kids made a big mistake, coming here...,"

DJ, Chizuru and Azu looked into the darkness that waited outside their cells. All night long, this new voice, a man's voice, had mumbled things here and there about this place, but nothing they could really understand, even with Chizuru's abilities.

"You've been saying that all night," DJ said, stifling a yawn, "...and we've been agreeing with you all night, but it's not like we can do anything right now, ya know? Who are you, anyway?"

The sound of chains rattling, followed by an annoyed growl as heard from the darkness, "My name is Hiro Mikumura,"

"What are you in for?"

Hiro let out a loud yawn, "Let's just say I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, kid. Just like you, apparently. What the hell is wrong with you, bringing a Fishman to this particular island?"

DJ facefaulted, "We've never been here before, so excuse us!"

"DJ...," Chizuru said in a warning tone before clearing her throat, "Please, Hiro, tell us anything you know about this island. We're worried for our friends,"

"The boy and the lobsterman?" Hiro chuckled darkly, "They're screwed, girl,"

"Why do you say that?"

"I say that because I've seen what the rulers of this island due for their personal gain," Hiro explained, "After 200 years or so, they're still a family of assholes,"

Chizuru frowned, "200 years?"

"Yeah, 200 years. See, the family in charge of this island used to be a close-knit clan of mikos and demon hunters,"

"Demon hunters?" DJ scoffed, "Hope Devon don't run into them," he cracked, earning a snort from Azu, "Come on, man, there's no such thing as demons,"

"I'm not saying there is such a thing as demons, rookie brat, I'm just telling you what I know, alright?" Hiro sighed loudly, "Anyway, for 200 years, this miko clan was well known throughout the world for their services and their magic,"

"Demons and magic? What's next, a book that summons demons that possess people?"

Chizuru frowned, "You'll have to forgive my male companions...they're idiots,"

"Hey!"

"Chizuru-chan!"

"Please, continue, Hiro. I, for one, am very interested in this,"

Hiro cleared his throat, "Despite what people think of all magic, miko magic or magic that is passed along priests and priestesses, is very real. However, it is rare nowadays,"

"But this island has it because the family in charge of this island are mikos?"

"Descended from them, yes. They're what you call a pure-blood family,"

Chizuru frowned, "A family that marries within a family to keep the blood in them pure and untainted...,"

"You know the term, not bad. Anyway, through recent decades, the 'demon slaying' business of theirs died out and in an attempt to keep living their lives comfortably, they finally came into the World Government and let the island get settled," Hiro continued, "Trade, fishing, all that was good business for themselves, but not as much as their old life,"

"So, what'd they do for comfort?"

Hiro chuckled, "I'm getting there. Whenever someone came to the island, if they didn't or act like normal humans, they'd be considered demons and then they'd be 'exorcised'...,"

"Normal humans considered demons?"

"Devil Fruit users, merfolk, fishfolk, anything that didn't meet the normal standards of the clan," Hiro explained, "The 'exorcism' of these 'demons' are two things: a public demonstration of their authority and power to the people, and a flourishing business to bounty hunters, the Government, or slave traders,"

DJ's jaw dropped, "They do all that because they don't have any spiritual magic left in them?! They hurt innocent people for their own comfort?!"

"Pretty much, yeah,"

The musician turned to Chizuru's wall, "Guess that means you can't use your little gifts,"

"Guess not," Chizuru shrugged, "Not like I use them very often, but still. Hiro, while we were in town, we saw the women being treated rather unfairly to the men of this island. What's up with that?"

"Back then, when the clan was still in great power, men and women had very different rules and privileges. In order to keep themselves on top, the clan made and enforced laws to keep these modern day people in the old ways. Whenever they seem to slip out of the old ways, they'd either lock them away or release another so-called 'demon' to punish them,"

"Is that how you came to be in here?"

Hiro chuckled again, "Oh, no no no...I'm not a resident of this island. I'm in here for a whole other reason,"

"Like what?"

"I came here to slaughter the entire clan, but I got my ass beaten and thrown in here. Been in here for a few weeks, waiting for them to come down and kill me, but they haven't done it yet. I don't know why, but I ain't complaining. I may be in a prison cell, but at least I'm alive,"

Chizuru nodded slowly, "I see,"

"Oi, dude!" Azu called out to Hiro, "If Herman's gonna be 'exorcised' and turned in for a bounty or something like that, what about our little friend? He's just a kid,"

"He's not better off than your Fishman friend. I'm sure that he's locked away somewhere with all the other brats they've taken into custody, waiting to be sold off to slavers,"

-----

"Whoa, what happened here?"

Niri, Pingu and Sora stood in front of the money exchange building, where a large crowd of people and police officers were gathered. The sharpshooter walked over to a group of whispering women, knowing she'd have a better chance at getting info from them instead of the men.

"Excuse me, but what happened?" she asked, pointing to the building.

One of the women looked at Niri and looked back at the exchange building, "The Lady in Red robbed the place last night. Stole every bit of gold that was stored in there,"

"Lady in Red?" Niri blinked a few times, "That woman thief, Carmen Isabela?" she looked at the building again, "That place had a break-in and every piece of gold was taken?"

"That's what I just said!"

Niri's eyebrow twitched, "Just making sure I heard right. Anyway, how'd she pull it off?"

The women shrugged.

"We don't know for sure, but all we do know is that the building wasn't forced into, and all the workers were found tied up behind the counter,"

"Only tied up?" Niri asked, a little surprised, "No one was hurt?"

The women nodded.

"But every thief that goes after gold usually ends up hurting at least one person in their escapades,"

"Not Carmen. She's what one calls a pacifist thief. She never uses a weapon, she never hurts anyone, and she certainly never kills anyone,"

Niri scratched her cheek, "Then, why does she have such a high bounty?"

"Because, besides gold, she's stolen many rare and famous treasures from all around the world! I've heard stories that she stole vases worth 200,000,000 Beli, as well as a painting that depicts the death of the late Pirate King, which was worth even more than the vases!"

The sharpshooter whistled, "My my...and no one's caught her yet?"

"No. So far, she's been uncatchable. Even if she's cornered by police and Marines, she always finds a way to escape! Some people call her the World's Greatest Thief!"

Niri grinned, _Greatest Thief, eh? Hehe...I bet I can beat that! But first..._ she turned and started walking away, _I gotta find these guys._

-----

"Man, this place is big," Devon looked around at the buildings as he traveled the streets of Kinmo, "Sorta reminds me of Roguetown, back in the East Blue. Hell, even back then, Austin used to get tormented by the bullies of the town...right before I kicked their asses,"

As he walked through the streets, Devon saw all the different kinds of booths and stores that Kinmo had to offer. One in particular, was a swords shop on a street corner. Even though he had an urgent mission, he found himself drawn to the building.

_Maybe I can find a decent blade for Macleod..._ he mused, looking at the barrels and racks filled with swords of all kinds, _Or maybe I should just take pity on him and let him have Ohm's sword. I really have no need for the Iron Cloud sword, and he needs a weapon..._

"Huh, finally a customer who's not using the style of zanbato or ittoryu,"

Devon looked away from the collection to a nearby counter where a young man was looking at a newspaper. The blonde pirate walked over to the counter and nodded, "Morning. How's business?"

The shopkeeper shrugged, "Not bad, not bad. Could be better, but it could be worse, too,"

Devon chuckled, "Yeah, I hear that. So, do you sell anything special around here, or is this all you got?" he asked, jerking a thumb to the weapons around him.

"Unfortunately, that's all we sell, so you're out of luck if you're looking for something special," the shopkeeper said apologetically before noticing Devon's gladius', "Haven't seen many of those swords in a while. Are you a traveler, sir?"

"Yeah, I'm...a treasure hunter, as well as a weapons collector," Devon said carefully, not wanting to let slip he was a wanted pirate, "I'm just passing through while my friends get supplies and I thought I'd see if there was anything worthwhile in here,"

The shopkeeper sighed, "Sadly, good customer, there isn't. However, if it's treasure you're after, I got something you may be interested in,"

"Oh?"

"Yeah," the young man leaned forward and dropped his voice as Devon leaned towards him, "A lot of people in town say that there's this beautiful sword hidden somewhere on this island and it's worth a fortune!"

Devon nodded slowly, "I see...tell me more,"

"I'm afraid that it's not cheap, this information,"

"I understand perfectly," Devon pulled out a wad of Beli dollars and slid it across the counter, "How much does this buy me?"

The shopkeeper counted the money and stuffed it into his pocket, "The sword is a katana by the name of _Raikiri_, and people say that it can cut lightning itself!"

Devon whistled, "Wow...any idea where I can find it?"

"Ha!" the young man scoffed and stood up straight, "If I did, don't you think I'd have it on display for sale?"

_He has a point..._ Devon cleared his throat, "These rumors...do they say where it could be?" he asked, slipping some more money across the counter.

"Many rumors say many different things, but all of them are the same result," the shopkeeper stuffed the money into his pocket, "The beaches, the forest, even Crescent Mountain," he pointed to the large mountain in the distance, "People have heard stories that the sword is in all those locations, but no one's ever found it yet,"

_**Yet!** So, if it is on this island, Axe would be glad to have it in his collection. After all, a treasure hunter's nothing without treasure..._

"Well, since you're here, how's about I interest you in something I got just this morning?"

Devon snapped out of his thoughts and looked back at the young man in front of him just in time to see him slide something in front of him. It was a large, red ceramic slab with symbols painted on top of it.

"What is this?"

The shopkeeper smiled, "This, my friend, is a demon sealing seal! The symbols are written and blessed by the mikos of Kinmotsu themselves, and this thing itself," he tapped the slab lightly, "Came from a demon that was recently purified. Go on, hold it. You can feel the holy magic of the mikos just flowing through it!"

A little skeptical, Devon picked up the seal and felt around it. As he ran his hand around it, he thought that it felt and looked familiar to him.

"What kind of demon did you say this was made from?"

The smile on the shopkeeper's face widened, "It was a fierce lobster demon that terrorized the city yesterday and-,"

"I'll take it," Devon slapped the rest of his money on the counter and ran out, the miko seal held tightly in his hand, leaving the shopkeeper with a confused look on his face.

"What'd I say?"

Carrying the seal, Devon ran into an alley and looked at it closely, a very worried look on his face.

_That shell fragment..._ Devon gulped, _It's Herman's! I didn't recognize it right away, but I'm positive this belongs to him. That guy said he was purified..._ he lowered the shell piece and leaned against the wall of the alley, _What the hell did they do to them!? I gotta let others know what I found!_

With that, Devon tucked the shell into his shirt and hurried down the street.

-----

Axe's search in the northern part of the city brought him to a large, yet simple building with a torii **(1)**, red in color. He looked at it, as well as some people dressed in robes who were sweeping the streets with brooms.

"A temple shrine? Here?" Axe tilted his head and scratched his head, "Huh...I haven't seen one of these in ages," he looked at the torii and clapped his hands together, "Forgive me if I'm intruding," he whispered before passing under it.

As he walked through the yard of the temple, hardly anyone looked at him, which struck him as odd. Usually, wherever he went, some people talked to him, or at least looked at him with a glance.

These guys must be really into their path to enlightenment or something, if they don't look away from their cleaning duties, he thought as he stepped in front of the temple's front door. Carefully, he grabbed the handle and slid it open to see five people kneeling in front of a large, roaring fire while a woman in priestess garb sat nearby, chanting something over and over.

He stood there for a short time, watching the group wait for the priestess or something, he couldn't be sure what the hell they were doing. Not wanting to cause trouble and disturb them, Axe slid the door shut and walked away from the temple.

"Huh...didn't know mikos were still around in the world,"

Inside the temple, Lord Zev opened his eyes and looked to his wife, "I believe that was the captain of the pirates that Murai took into custody, Lian,"

His wife nodded, "I believe so, love. I could feel immense power within him...he could cause trouble, even for us,"

Murai, who sat next to Zev scoffed, "Like that boy could do anything! I didn't sense anything from him,"

"That's because your power is weaker than my mothers, Uncle Murai!"

The large man glared at a young and beautiful woman who sat in between Lian and a much older man with graying red hair and a bushy mustache.

"Ayane, you shouldn't talk back to your elders!" he scolded, "I don't care if you are Haschel's prized student and a promising miko, I won't be talked to like that by a brat!"

The older man, Haschel sighed and shook his head, "These pirates have caused inner turmoil between our family," he rose up and stretched his sixty-year old body, "Zev, my little brother, what do you intend to do about these people?"

Zev smirked and stared into the fire as the priestess kept chanting, "I have a plan that's well under way," he looked at the priestess, "You know, even though she's not a member of our family, she's a decent miko,"

"Much better than Uncle Murai,"

"Shut your trap, damn brat!"

"Don't talk to my daughter like that, Murai!"

-----

After hours of searching, the Axe-Heads returned to their meeting point in the center of the town and told each other everything they learned. From Niri's little sight-seeing trip of Carmen Isabela's gold heist, to Devon's finding of Herman's shell piece as well as Axe's discovery of a temple on the north side of town.

"I think we can all agree...," Kirsty took a deep breath and looked at her friends, "This town is seriously messed up in some areas,"

Her nakama nodded in silent agreement.

"What do we do now?" Devon asked, looking at Axe and Niri.

The treasure hunter turned to Niri, "Yeah, captain?"

Niri scratched her head, "For now, we don't have much else. Let's go back to the ship and figure out a plan, eh? We may not have found any other trace of the others, but we need to prepare in case we need to fight,"

Axe punched his fists together, "I'm all for that,"

When they returned to the Tomahawk, they were greeted by a horrific sight.

"Oh my...," Kirsty raised a hand to her mouth.

"What the hell happened?!" Axe, Devon and Niri shouted at the same time.

The Tomahawk was trashed. Holes covered the deck and walls, some of the rooms were completely ripped open, and even the masts were badly damaged.

Axe growled, "Looks like someone doesn't want us to leave,"

Kirsty nodded before something came to mind.

"Oh my god...Dusty! Where's Dusty, she was supposed to guard the ship!"

Worried for their only remaining nakama, the pirates searched the ship high and low, cautious of the damages. As they searched, they called out the fox girls name, but they received no answer. The ship was badly damaged and abandoned.

Dusty was no where to be found.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!" Axe roared angrily, "DUSTY!!!"

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: See? Like the title said, it got worse!**

**(1) Torii: A large archway usually found outside Shinto temples. **

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Axe: We're the only ones left...now, I don't care what the hell happens, we are finding our friends!**

**DJ: What the hell was that? An explosion?**

**Hiro: It's okay, you guys, he's a friend. C'mon, we gotta book it!**

**Chizuru: There's...so many of them!**

**Freedom Fighters! Viva la Resistance!**

**Zev: We've been looking you for a _long_ time, Dusty... **


	14. Freedom Fighters! Viva la Resistance!

**Freedom Fighters! Viva la Resistance!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"Geez, look at this place. Whoever was here, they did a number on the ship,"

Axe picked up a broken piece of lumber and tossed it into the nearest pile, "Azu's gonna have a lot of work ahead of him,"

"If we can find him and the others," Niri reminded him as she sifted around the debris, "We should gather what we can, then we think of a plan,"

"Yeah...," Axe plopped onto the floor and tapped his foot against the deck, "This is bizarre. First DJ and the others are nabbed, then Dusty is missing. If this island and it's inhabitants wanted to take us out one by one, they would've done so while we were split up,"

Devon cracked his neck as he shoved the piles of broken wood off to the side, "Must be some kind of divide and conquer plan they got going on here,"

Niri shook her head, "I don't know, I've read some of the works of Vice-Admiral Tsuru, who is also called 'The Great Tactician', but I don't remember anything like this," she looked at her friends as Kirsty came into view, rubbing her neck, "Guys, we gotta do something here,"

"I agree," Axe nodded slowly, "We're the only ones left...now, I don't care what the hell happens," he shot to his feet and cracked his knuckles, "We're going out there and we're gonna find our friends, then we're gonna kick some ass!"

Niri smiled and turned to the others, "Bring out every thing that's still usable! When that's done, sort through everything and pick out anything that we may need for what might lay ahead of us. We're not leaving this island until we get each and every single one of our nakama back!"

Devon and Kirsty nodded and ran off while Pingu climbed on Sora's back and sped off, honking loudly.

-----

"_Nobody knows the trouble I've seen...nobody knows my sorrow..._,"

Azu growled and turned to the wall, "DJ, could you please sing a different tune? That's depressing enough as it is,"

"Yeah, please, DJ?" Chizuru asked from her side.

"Okay, okay...," DJ went quiet for a few moments, "_Dreamin'! Don't give it up_-,"

"ANYTHING BUT THAT!" Hiro, Chizuru, Azu, and every other prisoner screamed at him.

_Everybody's a critic..._ DJ sighed and shook his head, "Well, I got nothing right now, so you guys gotta entertain yourselves because I-,"

Suddenly, the dark cells shook violently as a very loud blast was heard. Ears ringing, DJ and his friends watched as chunks of rubble and metal bars flew past their cells.

"What the hell was that?" he half-shouted, shaking his head, trying to get the ringing out, "An explosion?!"

"I think my ears are dead!"

"What?"

"What?"

"WHAT?!"

"WHAT?"

"Hiro-san! Hiro-san, are you in here?!"

A small figure whizzed past DJ's cell and despite the ringing in his ears, he could hear the sound of something banging against something else. Soon enough, a loud creaking was heard, followed by a loud clang.

_What the hell is going on?_ DJ asked himself, _First, an explosion, now this?_

"Kid, get the other two, I got the girl,"

"I'm on it, Hiro-san!"

DJ squinted to see a short figure standing in front of his cell door. As he squinted, he noticed that the figure held a large cannon in it's arms.

"Oh...crap...,"

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

Another explosion filled the cell block and DJ turned away just in time to dodge some of the door's bars and rubble that flew at his face.

_I'm gonna have this ringing in my ears for hours now..._ he winced, shaking his head as the figure began to free him from the iron chains that held him to the wall. DJ looked at his savior and was surprised to see that it was a boy, no older than fourteen years old standing in front of him.

The boy had messy, dark blue hair, wore a pair of goggles over his head and the cannon that he used to blast apart the cell door was strapped to his back.

"Who the hell are you?"

The kid looked at him as he worked the final lock, "My names Kei. Who're you?"

"DJ...DJ Macleod,"

"Well, DJ Macleod," Kei broke the lock, causing DJ to fall to the floor onto is ass, "Welcome to the freedom fighters,"

_Freedom fighters?_ DJ climbed to his feet, rubbing his wrists, "Uh...,"

"DJ!"

The musician turned to see Chizuru standing just outside his cell, waving frantically.

"C'mon, we have to go! Now!"

Without wasting a second, DJ ran out of his cell, following his nakama and a large man he could only assume was Hiro while Kei ran behind him, followed by other prisoners.

After escaping what he assumed to be the prison of Kinmotsu Island, DJ followed his friends and Hiro through the dense forest of the island as smoke and fire engulfed the building in the distance. When they all reached a fair distance, Hiro came to a stop and leaned against a tree, panting heavily.

"Okay, we can rest for now," he looked at Kei, who was doubled over, gulping down air, "Nice work, kid. Made me proud in there,"

Kei gave a thumbs up, still panting.

"Who's the runt?" Azu asked, looking the boy over.

"It's okay, guys, he's a friend-,"

_BAM!_

A bullet struck the tree Hiro was leaning against, barely missing him by a few inches.

"Shit! C'mon, guys, we gotta book it!"

"Where?!"

"We have a secret camp, now come on!"

As bullet after bullet rained down on them, DJ followed the group closely. Even though he and his friends were being shot at and were running for their lives, he was thinking of one thing and one thing only.

_Dusty-chan...hope you're doing better than me right now!_

-----

"How long has she been out?"

"Only an hour, but then she recovered from the sleeping gas. It's amazing, I haven't seen anyone recover that fast,"

Zev grinned as he walked briskly down the decorated hall of his palace, "That's not surprising. She is blessed by Inari, after all," he came to a sudden stop and put his arm in front of Ayane, stopping her as well, "Listen...!"

Ayane became quiet and soon, she heard the same thing her father did. A song wafted down the hall, echoing off the building's structure. The tone was sad, but the song was still beautiful.

_"If from where you're standing  
You can see the sky above  
I'll be waiting for you  
If you still believe in love_

_Find a way  
To bring back yesterday  
Find a way to love_

_I hope you'll stay  
When tomorrow becomes today_  
_Love will find a way..."_

Ayane and Zev quickly made their way to a guarded door and quietly entered, listening to the song as they did so. After closing the door behind them, the two of them looked straight ahead to find Dusty sitting on a cushioned stool, her back to them. A few moments more of singing and Dusty trailed off into silence.

"Was wondering when you assholes would be coming," she said coolly, not even turning around, "I was even wondering if you knew I was here,"

Zev stepped forward and put his hands behind his back, "I'm glad that we found out that you were here. We've been looking for you for a _long_ time, Dusty...,"

"Yeah, same to you," Dusty shook her head, "Though, I sort of never wanted to find you jerks. Even after what you did,"

"What we did?" Zev repeated, "I'm sorry, but we've done so much...,"

"Ten years ago, in the East Blue, on a day celebrated by lovers...ring any bells?"

Ayane looked at her father.

Zev chuckled, "So, you _were_ there that day. Strange, we looked all over for you, but we couldn't find you. Where were you hiding, Dusty?"

"In a safe place, of course," Dusty turned her head to look at them and Ayane saw a look of pure hatred in her eyes, "For ten years, I was scared to death that you might find me, but I also wanted to find you so I can avenge my father...,"

"How did you find out it was me?"

"I got my ways," she slowly turned around and rose to her feet, fists clenching tightly, "All he ever wanted was to live the life he wanted, but you couldn't give that to him, could you?!"

Zev grinned and walked up to her. Dusty didn't move a muscle, but her body tensed up as he came closer. The older man brushed some of her hair away, "You know, despite the dilution, you do look like your father. I can see the fire from him in your eyes, and I can see you share the style," he played with her hair a little bit, "Though, not it's right color, but I'm sure we can fix that,"

"Fuck you, Zev," Dusty growled before spitting a loogie in his face, "The only thing I'm gonna do is kill you and avenge the man you killed!"

Zev grabbed her by the throat and brought her close to him, "Don't make promises you'll never be able to keep, young one. You have the blood of the Wakanda clan running through your veins, the blood of mikos from ancient times! Your father was a fool then, and he suffered for it!"

Dusty struggled against Zev's grip on her neck, "I'm not a Wakanda, asshole. My name is Dustine Wenata, daughter of Gonen Wenata-,"

_SLAP!_

The fox-girls cheek burned as she hit the floor. Ayane watched in silence as her father grabbed Dusty by the hair and pulled her upright.

"Now, you listen to me, Dusty...it's bad enough Gonen took the name of that stupid whore of his, I will not have that name spoke in this house! You're a member of the Wakanda clan, Dusty, be proud of it and maybe you'll go further in life than your stupid father ever did!"

A loud knocking was heard and Zev turned to see a guard opening the door.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Lord Zev, the prisoners have escaped! The damn freedom fighters came and busted out their friends!"

Zev cursed and let go of Dusty, "Is that so?!"

The guard nodded, "A scout said the army lost sight of them somewhere in the forest,"

"Alright...fine," Zev cracked his neck and walked past him, "We'll wait for them to make a move, then we'll slaughter them. My family and I haven't spent the last couple of centuries to fall out of power now,"

"What about the girl?" the guard asked, looking at Dusty.

Zev looked back at her, "Call the maids...tell them that Lord Zev wishes his niece to be bathed and dressed properly before dinner,"

-----

"Holy shit...!" DJ's jaw dropped as he stared at what was ahead of him.

"This is the freedom fighter base?!" Azu asked in disbelief.

"There's...so many of them!" Chizuru gasped quietly.

After losing the hunting party, Hiro and Kei led the escapees to a camouflaged hatch, then down a long, sloping tunnel lit by torches. After a long journey downward, they finally reached a huge cavern filled with hundreds and hundreds of people.

Hiro grinned, "Welcome to our humble home...,"

The pirates stared in awe at the sight. Men, women, and even children of all ages occupied the cavern. Tents and makeshift shanties littered the cavern floor, marked by hundreds of small campfires.

"How...do you guys live here?" Azu asked as he and the others followed Hiro and Kei around, "This place can't be safe. I mean, there must be tons of rock above you and they could cave in at any moment!"

For awhile, Hiro didn't answer him due to the large group of excited people that gathered around him. Obviously, he was important to these people. When he was done, Hiro turned to Azu, "I know the dangers, young one. But we'd rather die in a cave-in than at the hands of the Wakanda clan,"

DJ whistled at the sight, "Man, if only Axe and the others could see this,"

Chizuru nodded, "Yeah. I bet Dusty would be glad to put on a show for all these people,"

"Dusty?" Hiro stormed over to her and grabbed Chizuru by the shoulders, looking straight into her eyes, "Dusty Wenata?"

"Yeah,"

"Is this Dusty a girl with fox ears and a tail?"

"Yeah...," Chizuru nodded slowly, "You know her?"

"She's here, on Kinmotsu Island?!"

DJ frowned, "Wait a minute, what's wrong? How do you know Dusty-chan?!"

Hiro looked at them, let go of Chizuru and backed away slowly, "Dusty...," he sunk to the floor, taking a hold of his head, "I can't believe that she's here,"

"What's wrong?!" the three pirates shouted, drawing the attention of nearby people.

The older man looked up at them somberly, "If Dusty's here...then her free life is over,"

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: HOLY CRAP! Bet none of ya'll were expecting THAT, eh!? Mwahahaha, I'm good with delivering twists...anyhoo, time for the preview.**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Zev: Dustine, this is your family. Show them respect and learn from them.**

**Lian: She does look like big brother Gonen, doesn't she? I can feel her aura from here.**

**DJ: Hiro, how do you know Dusty-chan?**

**Chizuru: So, that's why Dusty wanted to leave this island ASAP...**

**A Kit's Tale. Dusty's Ten Year Pain**

**Hiro: It started a long time ago, but for her, it started ten years ago, when she first met her father. **


	15. A Kit's Tale Dusty's Ten Year Pain

**A Kit's Tale. Dusty's Ten Year Pain**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"My lord? Your niece is ready,"

Zev turned in his seat to see Dusty standing at the dining hall's doors. She was cleaner than she was when she was brought in, and she wore a magnificent red kimono with a blue-green sash wrapped around her waist. In the middle of the sash, was a beautiful piece of jewelry shaped in the form of a crescent moon. The kimono hid her tail, but her eyes were still visible.

Dusty glared at the group of people in front of her. She recognized Ayane and Zev, but there were also three other people in front of her. One was a beautiful woman with long red hair, an elderly man with a thick mustache, and a large, muscular man with cold eyes. All of them sat around a long dining table, which was packed with food.

Zev beckoned her closer, "Come, Dustine, eat with your family,"

"You're not my family," Dusty hissed, "We may be blood related, but you're not my family,"

"Dustine, this _is_ your family," Zev waved an arm to Lian, Ayane, Haschel, and Murai, "Show them respect and learn from them. Now, come over and sit down, the food will get cold,"

"I'm not hungry," Dusty murmured.

The older man shrugged and turned back to his food, "Suit yourself. You may be a part of this family, but the help won't give you any food after dinner, unless I give the order, so you should take the time to fill your belly,"

Dusty didn't move an inch and watched as her very distant relatives, as she called them, began to eat their dinner. She soon found herself staring longingly at the food, her mouth watering as her stomach growled rather loudly.

Taking a deep breath, Dusty walked over to the table and took the empty seat between Ayane and Zev. Ignoring the look she got from Ayane, as well as the sick smile from Zev, Dusty loaded her plate up with as much food as possible and began to eat like there was no tomorrow.

Murai grimaced, "She may have our blood, but she certainly doesn't have the manners of the Wakanda clan,"

Dusty flipped him the bird as she tore a piece of chicken off a drumstick.

"Why you-!"

Haschel let out a laugh, "Don't let it get to you, Murai. She grew up in a hard place, and she lost her father at such a young age,"

Dusty stopped in mid-bite and glared at them both a few moments before going back to her meal.

Lian sat back in her chair, looking at Dusty carefully, "She _does_ look like big brother Gonen, doesn't she?" she mused, smiling a little, "I can feel her aura from here,"

"She's disgusting," Ayane muttered, sliding her chair away from Dusty, "She has the eating habits of a wild animal,"

Dusty gulped down the meat she was scarfing and looked at her, "Excuse me, princess, but a pirate doesn't need to eat all polite and everything unless they want to,"

Zev noticed his daughter's glare and cleared his throat, "Don't mind her, my dear. We'll get her started tomorrow on how to be one of the family. It may take a while, but she'll come around,"

"Hehe...," Dusty shook her head and began eating her meal again, "That's what you think, asshole. When the chance comes, I'm getting outta here, but before I do," she grabbed her knife and pointed it at Zev, "You'll pay for killing my father,"

Murai roared with laughter and pounded the table, "Girl, if that baka Gonen couldn't beat him, what makes you think you can-?" he was cut off as Dusty's knife flew past his face and lodged itself in the back of his seat.

Dusty glared at him, ignoring her food completely now.

"Don't...you...dare...insult...my father...,"

Murai plucked the knife out of his chair and leaned forward, "Girl, I can say what I want about him. He was a fool then, and now, he's a dead fool, so shut up or I'll make you shut up, even if you are family,"

"Alright, alright, that's enough," Zev held up his hands, "No killing at the dinner table, and no threats either. Let's just eat and celebrate the return of lost Wakanda blood into our clan," he looked at Dusty, "Welcome to the family, Dustine,"

"Up yours, asshole,"

-----

For a man in his forties, Hiro Mikumura looked like he handle himself pretty well, and it showed that he had been in a few scraps at least. His body was muscular, and had a large scar on his upper right arm. Despite his age, his brown hair didn't show any gray...yet. Also, despite his appearance, one could tell he was a good man just by looking into his eyes. Those brown orbs told people he had seen a fair amount of action, but he also had a lot of heart.

As Hiro sat on a wooden crate, eating a plate of food, DJ and the others couldn't help but look at him and Kei. It was obvious that Hiro knew something about Dusty, and even knew her personally, but what was it? Kei was a mystery himself. For a fourteen year old, Kei was surprisingly strong, considering that cannon he carried around was at least three tons in weight.

"Kei, if you don't mind me asking, why're you with these freedom fighters?" Chizuru asked politely, "You're young, why are you fighting for your home?"

Kei scoffed and adjusted his goggle, "This place ain't my home. I got stranded here one day after my crew was arrested by the forces here,"

"Oh, so you're a pirate?"

"Only against my will," Kei picked at the food on his plate, "I was kidnapped by pirates when I was younger. I used to work at my dad at our firework shop, but then they came, slaughtered my whole family and forced me to become a crewmate that makes bombs for them,"

"What pirate crew was this?" Azu asked him.

"The Gold Mine Pirates,"

"Ah," Azu thought for a few moments, then shook his head, "Nope, never heard of them,"

Kei shrugged, "Don't matter if you did or not, I don't care. Anyway, they kept me prisoner for a long time, and during that time," he raised a finger and tapped his cheeks, which had a couple of burn marks, one large and two small ones, "I got these. When they were arrested, I thought I had a lucky break, but since I'm just a kid who can lift three tons," he patted his cannon, "They thought I was a demon, so I ran for it. I probably would've been caught or killed if Hiro-san," he jerked a thumb to the older man, "...hadn't saved my life,"

DJ glanced at Hiro, who was finishing his meal, "Hiro, how do you know Dusty-chan?"

The older man ate the rest of his meal and put his plate away, "I used to know her father, Gonen, a long time ago. He and I were part of the same pirate crew. I was the sharpshooter and he was the first mate of the crew. He was a great man, and even earned himself a bounty of 200,000,000 Beli,"

Azu's eyes went big, clearly impressed, "Not bad...,"

Hiro shrugged, "I guess. He only earned half that bounty anyway, the other half was given to him because the Marines found out that he was a dangerous man even before he was a pirate,"

"What do you mean?" Chizuru asked him.

"Well, before Gonen came to the East Blue and had a family with a woman named Miki, he used to belong to a secluded clan of mikos. This clan was hateful to all outsiders, but Gonen wasn't like that. Curious and wanting to be in a world where there were more people, he left his home. Needless to say, that pissed off his family,"

Chizuru frowned, "Hold on. You said the people of this island were once a clan of powerful mikos and demon hunters...,"

Hiro nodded slowly, "Yeah. Hiro used to live here on Kinmotsu Island. When he left, his family hated him for it. That's when it got real bad for Dusty and her family,"

"How bad is real bad?"

"It started a long time ago, Gonen's problem, but for her...for Dusty, it began ten years ago,"

-Flashback-

**_East Blue, Ten Years Ago_**

_"So, this is the first time you'll be seeing Miki in so long?"_

_"Haha, yeah. It's been about eight years since I last saw her. But, this trip is gonna be worth it, know why?"_

_Hiro pushed up his hat upward to look at his nakama, "Uh...not really. Why?"_

_Gonen Wakanda, also known as "Death's Messenger Gonen", leaned against the railing of their ship, looking out at the island in the distance, "It'll be the first time I meet my daughter. Her name's Dustine, but Miki calls her Dusty for short,"_

_"That's cute,"_

_The first mate nodded and spun his double-sided scythes around his fingers, "Yeah. I got a photo of her once thanks to a messenger bird, and she is adorable. I'm happy that the captain said we can visit,"_

_---_

_"Gonen!"_

_"Miki!"_

_Hiro watched as Gonen embraced his wife and spun her around, kissing her as he did so. He couldn't help but smile at his nakama's happiness. Movement nearby made Hiro turn his head to the side to see a small girl in a small dress. Her orange hair glowed in the sunlight, and with her big eyes, she looked adorable._

_"Yo, Gonen," Hiro turned to his nakama and pointed to the girl, "Guess who...,"_

_"Hm?" Gonen lowered his wife and followed his friend's finger to see the small girl standing nearby. He looked at Miki, "Is that Dusty?"_

_His wife nodded, "Yeah, that's your little girl, Gonen. Dusty Wenata,"_

_"She has your name...,"_

_"Our name, Gonen," Miki corrected him, "I know what you go through with your name, and I don't want that for her,"_

_Gonen hugged her, "Thank you. Now," he turned to his nakama, "Everyone, let's throw a party for my little girl!"_

_"AYE!"_

_Hiro slapped himself in the head, "He's not the captain...,"_

_---_

**_"The party lasted four days. The first three days, Dusty and her father got to know each other for the first time and became very close. He even gave her a Devil Fruit that he obtained from somewhere,"_**

_"**The Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Kitsune**,"_

**_"Yeah, that's the one. For those first three days, Gonen and his family were happy as they could possible be. But, on the fourth day of the party...the shit hit the fan,"_**

_Screams filled the air as Gonen and his nakama fought against a large pirate crew that landed on a nearby shore and raided the town. Hiro looked around, shooting at any enemy he could find. The innocents, including Miki and Dusty sought refuge in a shelter nearby, but it was well hidden, so they just had to fight these bastards to keep them safe._

_"You assholes picked the wrong time and place!" Hiro shouted, blasting the top half of one pirate's skull clear off, "Come on, I got plenty for everyone!"_

_"Hiro!" one of his nakama shouted after slicing an enemy across the belly, "Where's Gonen?!"_

_"He's right-," Hiro looked to where he last saw his friend just in time to see Gonen get impaled by a strange weapon, which was in the hands of a man who wore a half-mask, "GONEN!"_

_ His friend fell to the ground, unmoving as the man removed the mask away from his face and spat on his body. These seconds seemed to go very slowly for Hiro. His friend lay dead or dying, but he got a good look at the man who did it. It was a man whose eyes were filled with hate, his red hair matching the flames of nearby burning buildings._

**_"I saw my best friend die there, but before I could go and kill the man who slayed him, I was hit from behind and I lost consciousness. When I came to, they were gone, but everyone else was relatively safe. I knew who it was that killed Gonen, I remembered his stories of his weird family. While the rest of us recovered and mourned, I told Miki everything I knew,"_**

**_"What about Dusty-chan?"_**

**_"She was very sad. She had just lost the father she met only four days before. I stayed with them to help them out in their time of grief, and while I stayed, I gave Dusty her father's scythes. I thought it was the proper thing to do. She told me she wanted to avenge her father, so I also taught her how to use them. I may be an old pirate sniper, but I was decent in melee combat,"_**

_-_End Flashback-

"What does this have to do with Dusty-chan, though?" DJ asked him, "I don't understand,"

Hiro sighed and leaned back against a rock wall, "While I was out, the man who killed Gonen was looking for Dusty and Miki for some reason. After the fight and their loss, Miki and I realized that if they were looking for Dusty, but couldn't find her or her mother, then they'd still be looking for them,"

"Didn't Dusty-chan know this?"

"Yeah...Miki told her, despite my protests. She wanted her daughter to know the truth about her father and his family of freaks. Even though her eyes showed fear for her life, Dusty still wanted to find the bastard and kill him,"

Chizuru held her chin in thought, "So, that's why Dusty wanted to leave this island ASAP...,"

Hiro looked at them, "Where is she?"

"She's on our ship, docked in the harbor. If she's in danger, then we gotta leave!"

"It's too late for that,"

The three pirates turned to see a man dressed in armor walking up to them. His armor was identical to those soldiers who captured them.

Azu held up his fists, "What's going on?!"

Hiro stood up, "It's alright, kids, don't worry. This is one of our spies. He works up at the palace of the miko clan and he gives us plenty of intelligence," he assured them, "What do you got, my friend?"

The man looked at the kids, then Hiro, and shook his head, "That girl you were talking about, the one that they've been looking for?"

DJ's heart leapt into his throat.

Hiro gulped, "Don't tell me...,"

The spy nodded, "She got abducted by their ninja forces. She's up there right now with those asshole and-," before he could finish, a blur shot past him, past many others, and then sped up the tunnel that lead to the surface.

"DJ!" Azu shouted after him.

Chizuru cursed and ran a hand through her hair, "Idiot! That heart of his is gonna get him hurt or killed,"

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: Well, there's how Hiro knows Dusty and why he's after the Wakanda clan, but that's not the whole story, just so ya know. More info to come in future chapters.**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**DJ: Where's Dusty-chan?!**

**Dusty: What are you doing here, DJ-kun!?**

**Zev: She's not going anywhere with you boy. She's staying with her loving family.**

**DJ: I may not have a sword, but I can still fight!**

**Storming Hearts! Unleash the Whirlwind!**

**Dusty: DJ-KUN!!! **


	16. Storming Hearts! Unleash the Whirlwind!

**Storming Hearts! Unleash the Whirlwind!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**Kilnorc: Hey, remember when 4Crap dubbed this show? Neither do I! (Anymore, all hail FUNimation) **

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"I can't believe that DJ went off like that...,"

"He has a good heart, Chiz, but even that isn't a good thing to use in a battle,"

"He's a complete idiot, no matter how you look at it,"

Azu and Chizuru followed Kei, Hiro, and the spy from the Wakanda palace down one of the many tunnels that connected to the large cave where the freedom fighters had their base. They knew DJ was going after Dusty to save her, but they also knew that he had a small chance of doing that and walking away without a decent wound, so they were on their way to the exit closest to the palace.

Hiro shook his head, "I care for Dusty, I love her like my own kid, but even I wouldn't have done something so idiotic,"

"He's just doing what he thinks he has to do," Chizuru reasoned.

"Well, his blood's gonna paint the palace walls for it," Hiro snapped at her, "You guys just better hope that we get to him before he busts in on the Wakanda's,"

"Are they really that tough?"

Hiro stopped and turned to the pirates, "You guys saw what Murai did, right? He beat your asses like that," he snapped his fingers, "Murai is just one of the five remaining Wakanda clan members, and despite their lack in numbers, they still possess incredible strength. Hell, Zev killed his own brother, who was experienced. That lover boy is nowhere near the level of strength Gonen was when he died. Not only that, the clan still possess their ability of miko magic!"

Azu and Chizuru became quiet.

"You're friend, though both noble _and_ stupid...," Hiro shook his head, "Unless we save him from himself and his stupidity, he _will_ die,"

-----

After a less than enjoyable dinner, Dusty was escorted back to her guarded room by Lian. She hated it here, but she had to go along with it until it was time to make her move, so she swallowed the hatred for these people and just went with it.

Lian glanced at her angry face and kept walking, smiling.

"You may be mad with us right now, dear, but you'll see that this life is much better for you," she said casually, "You're a beautiful, young lady who was blessed to have the Wakanda blood in your veins. The six of us-,"

"Five," Dusty snapped at her, "_Five_,"

"We are the last of our clan, but we hope that through some luck, we will be able to bear new heirs to our family," Lian finished as they approached her door, "Get some sleep, child, because tomorrow, you start your new life," she looked at Dusty and played with her hair, "We'll get some coloring to make your hair the proper shade, then we'll get started on teaching you table manners,"

Dusty growled and slapped her hand away, "I'm not staying, bitch...I told you, the first chance I get, I'm gonna kill that bastard and leave this place. You hear me?"

Lian smirked, "Delusions of grandeur, I'm afraid, Dustine. Haven't you seen it, yet? Your friend's are taken care of, your ship is practically a floating ghost ship, and you," she took Dusty's chin and lifted her face to hers, "Are already with us,"

The fox-girl wrenched her face away, "I said it before and I'll say it again. Up yours, ass-,"

A loud crashing sound interrupted the two of them and them as well as the guards in front of them snap their heads in the direction of the noise. Lian turned to her men, "Go and find out what that is!"

The guards saluted and ran off, the clanking of their armor echoing off the elaborate walls. Lian scowled, _Sounded like someone breaking in, but who would be foolish enough to enter **our** home?_ _Unless..._ she glanced at Dusty, who was watching the guards run off, _...her friends are going to try and take her back?_ a cruel smile crossed her face, _This will be entertaining, as well as educational if it turns out to be just that._

-----

"WHERE'S DUSTY-CHAN?!"

DJ stood in front of a moderately sized group of armed soldiers, his shoulders going up and down as he seethed with anger. It didn't take him long to find the only place that fit a palace's description, and it took him even less time to break through a large window, startling everyone in the area. The maids ran for cover as the soldiers advanced on DJ.

"You are trespassing on private property!" one of the soldiers growled, pointing at DJ with his spear, "You're under arrest,"

DJ disappeared in a blur, sending a ripple of panic through the guards.

"He vanished!"

"It's a demon!"

"Call Lord Zev or one of the others! They'll know how to deal with this!"

One of the soldiers bolted to call onto their masters, but when he ran not five feet from the others, the sound of something heavy hitting the floor was heard. He looked over his shoulder and held back a scream when he saw every single one of his comrades on the floor, moaning as DJ stood in the center of the group.

Not wasting another second, the remaining soldier ran for help. DJ knew he had left one conscious, and he didn't care. That one was going to lead him to the assholes who kidnapped Dusty. DJ cracked his knuckles and stepped over the useless soldiers.

"I'm coming, Dusty-chan, just hang on,"

-----

"When is this asshole getting here?"

"Be patient, Murai...he'll be here shortly,"

"I wanna beat him down, papa!"

"We'll see, Ayane, we'll see,"

Zev, Ayane, Murai and Haschel stood in a large, open room. This room was meant used for training the guards, but since their men were being beaten by a whelp, the room would hold no other purpose except to confront the intruder.

The leader of the Wakanda clan paced calmly back and forth. One of his men had come to them minutes before, screaming about a demon that was faster than any human alive coming for the girl. Zev knew this was one of his niece's nakama, and he also knew that he would try and fight for her. However, neither he or any of his relatives were scared in the least. They were strong and they had connections to the World Government. The best case scenario for them was to beat the boy down as punishment, then ship him off to prison in exchange for his bounty.

Murai tapped the floor annoyingly as he spun his zanbato around, "Where is he? That idiot better be leading him here, otherwise I'll cut him down for screwing up!"

Haschel shook his head and stretched out his arms, "Whose to say you're the one to fight him, Murai? My fists are itching for some exercise,"

"Uncles, if anyone is going to hurt the intruder," Ayane pulled out a strange, sword-like weapon with a single prong on one end, "It'll be me and my jutte,"

"DUSTY-CHAN!!!" a muffled scream from the other side of the training room door grabbed their attention.

"FINALLY!" Ayane and Murai cried at the same time.

The doors burst open and the guard from before was seen flying through the doorway. The soldier hit and slid across the floor until he came to rest at Murai's feet. The zanbato user looked down to see some blood trickling down the side of his head.

Zev had stopped pacing when the scream was heard and when he saw DJ enter the room, he smiled and bowed low, "Welcome, traveler, to our humble home,"

"Shut up, shithead," DJ growled, "Where's Dusty-chan, where are you keeping her?!"

The leader of the clan frowned slightly, "I'm sorry? I don't know who...oh!" he broke in a smile, "You must mean Dustine, my lovely niece. I'm afraid that she's resting now, so you can't see her right now,"

"I didn't come to see her, I came to take her back!" DJ snapped at him, "I won't let a girl like her to suffer like this! Now, you either tell me where she is or I'll rip this place to shreds to find her!"

"No can do, I'm afraid," Zev shook his head, chuckling, "She's not going anywhere with you, boy. She's staying right here, with her loving family,"

"Loving family?" DJ repeated the last part, "What kind of family hunts down one of their own and kills them in cold blood during a celebration?!"

Zev raised an eyebrow, "So, you know that part of the story, hm? I wonder who told you that little tale...," he shook his head again, "Boy, you are a fool. We, my family, are trying to keep our bloodline going...trying to keep our clan alive and here you are, challenging everyone in this palace to take away one of our more sought after family members,"

"She's not your family! Dusty-chan may have the foul blood of your clan inside her, but she isn't one of you!"

The foul blood remark made Zev frown deeply.

"It seems that you won't listen to reason. Alright then, how about this?" he walked over to a case of different swords, "We'll fight for her. If I win my niece stays here, but if you win, you can take her away," he turned to him and waved at the swords, "Pick your weapon,"

DJ shook his head.

"No sword? How about a spear? An axe? What's your liking?"

"I'm an _ittoryu_ user, but I won't fight with a sword that belongs to you,"

Murai laughed loudly, "A swordsman with no sword? What's next, a sniper with no gun?" he looked at Zev, "Brother, this will be easier than we thought!"

DJ cracked his knuckles loudly and stretched out his legs, "I may not have a sword, but I can still fight! Ever since my last sword was broken, I've been training myself to fight in a different way in case I'm unable to use a sword in battle,"

"Oh, is that so?" Zev clicked his tongue as he pulled out a strange weapon, "Well, let's see how your training has paid off, shall we?"

The musician looked at the weapon in Zev's hand. It looked like a normal, single bladed scythe, but instead of it being just that, a long chain with an iron ball on the end was attached.

"This," Zev held up the weapon and began to spin it around, "...is a kusarigama. It's a type of scythe weapon that ancient demon slayers of our clan used. Gonen and I used to be the only scythe wielders until I killed him. Now, I'm only one who can use them...aside from Dustine of course. Well, are we going to begin or not?"

-----

Behind a special one-way mirror, Dusty and Lian looked at DJ and Zev. Lian smiled at her husband while Dusty stared in shock at her nakama standing across from him.

"What are you doing here, DJ-kun?!" she whispered.

Lian giggled quietly, "I believe he's doing something foolish," she mused as DJ ran at Zev, "Let's watch, dear,"

-----

Zev's kusarigama passed right through DJ and lodged itself into the wall behind him. He watched as the after-image of the ittoryu user faded into nothingness and pulled back his weapon, "Hmph...so, you are fast. Just like he said," he murmured, looking at the bleeding guard.

"I ate the Speed-Speed Fruit,"

The clan leader smirked and turned to see DJ flying at him, "Devil Fruit user...,"

"Damn right!" DJ pulled back a leg, "_Speed-Speed Roundhouse!_"

Everyone watched as DJ's leg suddenly snapped around and landed a kick on Zev's face. The clan leader stumbled back, a bruise already forming on his face. The red-haired man chuckled and turned back to DJ, "You deliver a fast kick, I'll give you that, but I'm still standing, boyo. Come on, try again!"

DJ grit his teeth and ran at him again, "_Flurry Fist!_"

The musician began to throw punches at Zev, but instead of normal punches, DJ's fists appeared in a blur. He was using his Devil Fruit ability to speed up his attacks so he could unleash a punching storm on the bastard.

The others watched as each of the punches hit Zev dead on, but they didn't seem to do any damage to him at all...he didn't even step back like he did when he was kicked! DJ pulled his arms back and looked at what little damage he had done.

"Shit,"

"Two strikes," Zev held up two fingers, "One last shot, kid. C'mon!"

DJ glared, "Alright...you asked for it!" he held up a hand and began spinning it around, "_Whirlwind Fist..._,"

Zev watched as DJ's hand began to spin faster and faster until a small tornado appeared, covering his entire hand.

"Now, that's a first,"

DJ rammed his hand right at Zev, but it didn't make contact. It was stopped by something strange that appeared between him and his enemy.

"What the...?" DJ gawked at a weird, dome-like structure that covered Zev, "Where the hell did that come from?!"

Zev chuckled, "This is the power of the Wakanda Mikos, boy. With our power, we can both defensive and offensive techniques against our enemies,"

DJ stepped back at looked at the dome, which seemed to be made of pale blue energy, "Unreal...,"

The bluish dome disappeared and Zev began to spin his kusarigama again, "Now, it's my turn," he smirked and threw the chain end of his weapon at DJ. The ittoryu user was still thrown off about the dome from before, he failed to notice the chain flying at him until it was too late. The kusarigama's chain wrapped itself around his neck and Zev yanked on the weapon hard, forcing DJ to him.

As soon as he came close enough, Zev swung his leg hard upward and rammed his knee into DJ's face. The musician's head snapped back, blood already flowing from his now broken nose.

Murai grinned, "He was such a fool,"

Sighing, Haschel shook his head, "So young, yet so stupid,"

-----

"DJ-kun!" Dusty watched in horror as her nakama suffered Zev's attacks over and over again. Her so-called uncle not only beat the crap out of him with close melee strikes, but he used the chain on the kusarigama to fling him into surrounding objects and furniture.

Lian clicked her tongue, "Reminds me so much of Gonen, that boy...willing to fight for a girl, but ends up being slaughtered by Zev,"

Dusty shot a hateful glare at her, "Shut up,"

"Be real, Dustine," Lian turned away from the fight, "If brother Gonen couldn't win against Zev, what possible chance does that brat have?" she glanced back at the fight, "See, that's what I mean!"

Dusty snapped her head back and her eyes widened in horror, "DJ-KUN!!!"

-----

Blood dripped to the floor, pooling under DJ's hanging feet as Zev's kusarigama pierced his body, the curved blade covered in DJ's blood. The musician's face was a mess; his nose was broken and bleeding, one of his eyes had swollen shut and his lips were split open. Zev looked at the young man, "Just like Gonen. Fighting for a woman who doesn't deserve you and fighting an enemy you've underestimated,".

Zev pulled his blade out of DJ's gut, causing the pirate to hit the floor, his blood splattering against the floor and his legs. The clan leader scoffed and turned away, "Filthy trash...get rid of him,"

He started to walk away, but something latched onto his leg. Zev looked back to see DJ's hand gripping his ankle.

"D-Dusty-chan...will...n-n-never be yours,"

Zev glared and wrenched his foot away, "She already is, boy. Dustine is with her family, and here, she will stay until the day she dies,". He snorted and walked out of the room, closely followed by Ayane while Murai and Haschel picked up DJ's bloody form and carried him out of the room.

The clan leader and his daughter found Lian and Dusty in the room behind the special mirror a short time later. Dusty lunged for him, but she was quickly subdued by Ayane, who pinned her to the floor.

Zev took a cloth from Lian and wiped his blade clean, "I hope that teaches you that you're staying with us for a very long time, Dustine,"

Dusty glared up at him as she tried to throw Ayane off her, "YOU BASTARD! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO DJ-KUN!?" she screamed.

"He attacked me first, so it was self-defense, he was asking for it," Zev shrugged a little, "You make it sound like a bad guy, but all I am is a man whose trying to preserve his family,"

"YOU'RE A MURDERER! A COLD BLOODED KILLER!" Dusty tried to bite him, but couldn't reach his legs, "I'll kick your ass for both my father and DJ-kun! When my nakama get here, they'll help me burn this whole fucking place to the ground with your whole family inside of it!"

Zev sighed, bent down and ruffled her hair, despite Dusty's cursing, "You're still stubborn, hm? I guess this means I'll have to resort to dirty tricks to convince you, hm?" he looked up at Ayane and Lian, "Come, let's show her our other special guest,"

Dusty glared at him as Ayane pulled her to her feet, _Special guest? What the hell is he talking about?!_

Zev and Lian led Dusty and Ayane down a passage that was hidden by a large painting, and down a large, stone, spiral staircase. They soon entered a large room that was dimly lit and cold, but it wasn't empty. Dusty could hear something ahead of them, but she couldn't see what it was.

When they came to a large cell, one much larger than the ones that held Hiro and DJ, Dusty saw a huddled form in a corner. The form was covered by a tattered blanket and was rocking back and forth, muttering something under it's breath.

Zev cleared his throat, "How are you tonight?" he asked loudly.

The figure stopped rocking instantly and went quiet.

"I hope we're not disturbing you, but we thought you'd like to meet someone,"

"Just leave me the hell alone," the form hissed at him, "Go back and let me be, Zev,"

Dusty's eyes widened, _That voice...no! It **can't** be!_

Zev sighed and shook his head, "Now, now...Dustine came all this way to meet you, and you're turning your back on her?"

The figure stiffened, "D-Dusty...? You lie, you sonofabitch,"

"No, I'm not lying. See for yourself,"

Slowly, the form in the cell removed the blanket and Dusty felt like throwing up right there. She looked older, thinner, and weaker than she did when Dusty last saw her.

"M-Mom?"

Miki Wenata stared at Dusty from her corner, while Dusty stared at her from her side of the cell's bars.

Zev clapped his hands, "Well, isn't this nice? The entire family's here now!"

Dusty glared at him again, "You rat-sucking sonofabitch! Why is she here?! You wanted me, why'd you take her?!"

"For a last resort...insurance, really," Lian explained, "You see, we thought you'd either give up after a time, or still resisted us when we found you, so we 'invited' your mother to stay with us,"

"You _kidnapped_ her!"

Zev rolled his eyes, "That's such a harsh word, Dustine,"

"I can think of others,"

"Well, while you do that, think of this," Zev leaned over to her and looked right into her eyes as he pointed at her mother, "If you fail to see the blessing you have by being here, and if you don't obey us, I will personally kill your birth mother,"

Dusty's heart skipped a few beats.

"Don't think I won't, because if I killed my own flesh and blood, so I have no problem killing the whore who bore the woman in front of me," Zev said in a low voice, "So, as long as you do what you are told, Miki will live to see another sunrise...even though she has no sunlight down here,"

Ayane chuckled at her father's cruel joke.

Dusty turned to her mother and pressed her head against the bars, "If it means my mother will be safe, I'll do what you want, but my nakama won't take this laying down," she pointed out with a small smile, "My captain is not someone to screw with,"

Zev nodded, "Yes, I know of your crews reputation, and I know that they will be angered at your predicament and your friend's death-,"

"DJ-kun isn't dead," Dusty whispered, "He's not,"

"Tell yourself whatever you need to to make it feel better, but one way or another, they will come for you,"

"Then you're screwed...you'll get your ass kicked by fighting them,"

Zev shook his head slowly, "No, I don't think so. See, when they come, and they will come...my family and I aren't the ones who'll fight and kill them,"

Dusty's heart skipped again and she became quiet. She knew what he meant by that.

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: Oh...crap...things just keep getting worse! Not only did DJ get his ass handed to him (again), but Dusty's birth mother is at the mercy of the Wakanda clan! Could things get ANY worse?!**

**...probably...**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Hiro: He's damn lucky to be alive, I've seen what Zev can do.**

**Azu: Ah, just give him good drink and he'll be fine!**

**Devon: There's gotta be someone in this town who can help us.**

**Axe: You guys go on and look around. I gotta take care of something...**

**Looking for Clues and Help**

**Niri: I wonder if she'd be of any use to us? Gotta find her first, though... **


	17. Looking for Clues and Help

**Looking for Clues and Help**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Dusty winced as a bright light shined over her eyes and held up a hand to block it. She slowly opened her eyes to see the morning's sunlight pour into her new room. Groaning, she sat up and ruffled her hair, "No matter where I am, I'm not much of a morning person," she muttered, looking around.

She was laying in the very large, and surprisingly comfortable bed of the room she was given. The mattress was soft, the pillows were perfectly fluffed, and the blankets were so thick and warm, she fell asleep as she cried last night.

Last night...

Dusty gripped the blankets as the memories of the night before came flooding back to her. DJ had come to take her away from these psychos, but he ended up being tossed outside like garbage after being impaled by Zev's kusarigama, as well as getting thrown around the training room like a rag doll. To make things worse, she found out that Miki, her own mother, had been kidnapped by Zev and his clan to use against her if she didn't comply with Zev's wishes. If that wasn't enough, she would have to deal with her nakama if they came looking for her again.

With these thoughts running around in her head, Dusty began to cry again, heartbroken. A soft knocking at her bedroom door made her stop and wipe her tears.

"Yeah?"

"Lady Dustine?" one of the maids called from the other side, "Breakfast is ready. The rest of your family are waiting for you in the dining hall,"

Dusty sniffed, "Thanks,"

"Are you alright, milady?"

"I'm fine," Dusty cleared her throat, "Just got a little thing in my throat. I'll be done shortly,"

"Do you need help in dressing?"

"No, but thank you,"

Dusty listened as the maid's footsteps grew fainter before climbing out of bed. She looked at a nearby mirror and grimaced.

_Bad enough I'm being forced to stay here by freaky relatives..._ she started to straighten her hair, _...now I got really bad bed-head._

She walked to the closest window and looked out at the new day. From her room, she could see the city of Kinmo a short distance away. Her nakama were no doubt looking for her and DJ right about now, but there was nothing that could be done anymore.

_I should've told them everything when I had the chance..._ Dusty bit her lip and closed her eyes, feeling more tears coming to her, _If I had done that, then DJ-kun would be alright. DJ-kun, I'm so sorry..._

-----

"Holy shit...,"

"That doesn't look good!"

Chizuru and Azu sat in a large tent, looking at the body of their wounded nakama. They were too late to prevent DJ from going to the Wakanda's home and doing something stupid, but they were able to find him out in the wilderness. So now, they were waiting for him to wake up from his ordeal.

The musician's body was wrapped in bandages, and his swollen eye was covered by a small pack of ice, which was strapped to his face by more bandages. Hiro looked him over and sat back, shaking his head.

"He's damn lucky to be alive," he murmured, "I've seen what Zev can do, up close!" he pointed to the red blot in DJ's bandages, "Gonen was stabbed just like that all those years ago, but this kid managed to survive the attack and live long enough for us to find and treat him. It's unreal,"

"That's the Grand Line for you," Chizuru said with a slight shrug, "Did your spy get back to the mansion without causing suspicion?"

Hiro nodded, "Yeah, he did. We're still good for now. If he ever got caught though, and they managed to get the location of this place, we're screwed. This is the only safe place large enough to house the freedom fighters here,"

Chizuru looked around outside, "So many people...all of them hate the Wakanda clan?"

"Yeah, for different reasons. Some were unlawfully imprisoned, some had their family killed or sold off by the clan...the list goes on," he looked at the navigator, "Your friend must really love Dusty to go off like an idiot unarmed and outnumbered to get her back. But, since he failed, looks like we're gonna have to do that when we do our final assault on the palace,"

"Final assault?"

Again, Hiro nodded, "We're planning one big attack on the clan's home, and whether we win or lose and die, that will be our final attack. We won't let our lives be threatened or controlled by those bastards any longer," he looked at DJ, "We might've been able to use him, but now that he's injured this bad...," he trailed off.

"Ah," Azu waved him off and held up his clay jug, "Just give him good drink and he'll be fine!"

Chizuru glanced at her nakama, "That doesn't work for everyone, Azu,"

"It doesn't?!"

The navigator rolled her eyes and fingered her knives, _With DJ out of commission, it's just me and Azu down here. We need to get back to the surface and find Axe and the others so they can help us find Austin and Herman!_

"Hiro," a small grin appeared on her face, "How would you like some extra muscle? I'm talking big time muscle,"_  
_

-----

The remaining Axe-Heads sat in a large pub in Kinmo, eating their plates of food as they took a break from their search. They had been looking for their nakama for a while now, but so far, they found absolutely no trace of any of them. Things weren't looking very good for them right now.

"We've questioned, we've snooped...we've done everything except raze the place to the ground," Niri propped her head on her hand, "Where the hell could they be?"

"It's not like they've could've disappeared into thin air," Devon muttered, drumming his fingers along the table, "There's something really screwy going here,"

"Yeah, no shit," Axe scoffed, "All we have of our friends is this," he held up the shell fragment from their lobsterman nakama, "A piece of Herman's shell that's been cut, polished, and painted on,"

Kirsty shook her head, "I can't believe that they would do something so bad to Herman. He's so kind, he wouldn't anyone without a very good reason! Why would they call him a demon and exorcise him?"

"I dunno, but like I said, something really screwy is happening on this island. I can feel it in my gut that something's twisted about this place,"

Niri nodded and looked at the other patrons. They were all men, and the only women in the bar were waitressing them. Inequality between both sexes always got under her skin, but this island and it's people just made her blood boil. She turned back to her meal and started eating again while her friends talked about what to do next.

"There's gotta be someone in this town who can help us," Devon tapped the side of his head, growling in frustration, "There must be at least one person on this whole damn island who saw what happened to our friends,"

Axe shrugged, "We must've asked like eighty percent of the city, and so far nothing!"

"Then we just have to ask the other twenty percent," Kirsty shot back, "We can't give up!"

Devon looked at her, "Kirsty, I love ya, but that's kind of a stupid idea," he held up his hands quickly as she glared at him, "Look, I know we still have people to question, but how do we know who to ask? We can't remember everyone's faces, so how do we know we won't be asking the same people the same questions from before?"

"Oh...," Kirsty bit her bottom lip, "That's a good point,"

"Did you hear? Lady Dustine's going to make a public appearance for the first time since her arrival!"

"I heard she's just as beautiful as Lady Ayane and Lady Lian,"

"Didn't she used to be a pirate?"

"Yeah, but that wasn't her fault. She was forced into that horrid life, then Lord Zev saved her and took her in as one of the family,"

"She's very lucky,"

"Yeah, but she was in trouble last night,"

"Why, what happened?"

"Some man with the Devil's speed broke into the palace and tried to kidnap her!"

"No!"

"Yeah, but luckily, Lord Zev's miko powers were able to purify the demonic intruder,"

"That's a blessing,"

The four pirates and the two animals with them heard every word the men from the booth behind them had said. Axe looked at his nakama, and they looked at him.

"You wanna do it, or should I?" the treasure hunter asked his First Mate.

Devon shrugged, "Don't matter,"

Axe nodded and turned to face the booth behind him, "Excuse me, sirs,"

The two men in the booth looked at him, "Eh?"

Axe put on a phony smile, "I couldn't help but overhear the news that Lord Zev's niece was saved and returned to her family. I would like to give something to the Lady and her family as a gift, but I'm new to the island and I'm afraid I don't know where they live, so could you point me in the right direction...?"

After getting directions, Axe thanked them and they left the bar, bellies filled and mouths watered.

"You're not that bad of a liar, Axe,"

"Well, I _do_ know how to stretch the truth, Niri,"

Devon cleared his throat, "Okay, so what the hell is going on? Dusty's missing from the ship, now people are saying she's the niece of the lord of the island and she's living at the mansion?"

"This just keeps getting stranger and stranger," Kirsty scratched her head, "From what they said, DJ was there too, but he got 'exorcised' just like Herman supposedly was by something called miko powers?"

Niri tapped her foot idly, thinking things over.

"What do we do now?"

The sharpshooter clicked her tongue, "Well, I think we should go to this palace and see for ourselves whether or not if Dusty's really there or not,"

"If she is, and we try to bust her out, it may be prove challenging," Devon pointed out, "DJ broke in to get her out, so no doubt that security is tighter than before,"

Axe nodded, "And I know that I said that I don't care what happens, but that was in the heat of the moment,"

"You're saying that we should go along with this and try not to stir up trouble?"

Again, he nodded, "Yeah, that's what I'm saying,"

"If that's the case," Niri began, chewing on her thumb, "It's gonna be harder getting in there than we thought before,"

"Well, let's not worry about anything like that just yet, let's just see what's going on with Dusty, and then we'll try to where to go from there," Kirsty suggested.

Axe clicked his tongue and put his hands in his pockets, "That's a good idea, Kirsty, that way we'll get some intel on what the hell is going on before we act. You, Devon and Niri go do that,"

Devon frowned, "Where are you going?"

"You guys go on and look around," Axe turned around and began walking away, "I gotta take care of something...,"

"Take care of what?" Devon called after him.

"Something!" Axe yelled back as he rounded a corner. As he headed down the street, he pulled out Herman's shell fragment and looked at it closely, "Purification, hm? There's only one place I've seen so far that has people that can do that sort of thing,"

Niri rubbed her head, "Man, why does he do that?"

"Because he's Axe,"

The sharpshooter sighed, "That still doesn't help us much," she looked around, "Well, let's get goin', hm?"

The three of them started walking in the direction given to them by the men from the bar. As the trio walked past the men and women of the strange island, Niri caught sight of something familiar on a wall nearby. Veering off to the side real quick, Niri looked at Carmen's bounty poster.

"She's a thief, like me, but she managed to not only steal the gold from the exchange building, but she managed to leave no trace of how she got in or out," she chewed on her thumb again, "She has some damn good skills. I wonder if she'd be any use to us?"

Niri grabbed Carmen's poster, ripped it off the wall, stuffed it into her pocket and started after her friends again.

"Gotta find her first, though...,"

Little did Niri know, that at that moment, the person she was thinking about was watching her from a safe distance before disappearing in the crowd of citizens.

_Zolaro... _

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: Well, at least the gang finally has a lead on one of their nakama, and at least DJ survived the onslaught. But, what is gonna happen now, and does Niri have a meeting between thieves in the future? Stay tuned to find out!**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Axe: This thing came from a friend of mine. You either tell me where he is, or I will show you a whole new definition of Hell.**

**Kirsty: That's Dusty, alright, but why is she with these guys?**

**Niri: There was definitely a fight here, I can still spot some blood around here.**

**Devon: Her Devil Fruit and this clan's deity...could this be another twist by Fate?**

**Wakanda, Miko Clan of the Kitsune Inari**

**Kirsty: Niri, what do...oh crap, I know that look! She found something shiny!  
**


	18. Wakanda, Miko Clan of the Kitsune Inari

**Wakanda, Miko Clan of the Kitsune Inari**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Following the directions given to them by the men in the bar, Devon and the others soon found the home of the Wakanda clan. It was a large, beautiful home with at least five floor levels and a huge, lovely garden. All of which sat behind a strong iron gate where armed guards were posted. They had no problem getting into the premises though, since the gates were open and many of Kinmo's people were pouring into the estate.

"Man, big crowd," Niri commented, looking around, "We're wanted people whose nakama broke into the mansion. Good chance we'll get arrested for being associated with DJ and his actions, so is this really wise?"

Devon nodded and stuffed his hands in his pockets, "It'll be alright, Niri. Even if we did get spotted in this crowd, I doubt anyone would try to attack us with so many innocents around. Besides, this is the best lead we've had on our friends, so let's just see what unfolds, okay?"

After a short time of anxious waiting, a man appeared on a balcony on the middle level of the mansion and waved at the people, who began cheering and clapping. The three Axe-Heads looked up at the man and immediately, they all got a bad feeling grow in the pit of their stomachs.

"Guess that's Lord Zev,"

"I guess so,"

"If that's him, where's Dusty?"

Above, Zev motioned for everyone in the audience to quiet down.

"People of Kinmotsu Island, for years, our family has suffered losses as we have defended this island home of ours from pirates, demons, and other dangers to the World Government. Centuries ago, our clan was large and prosperous, and we once hated the outside world until the great Goddess Inari came to my late ancestors in a dream and told them that they should go and seek allies so that they can work harder to keep this beautiful island and the world around it safe from evil!"

Devon snorted, "Only real deity in this world is Odin,"

Kirsty rolled her eyes, "Just shut up and pay attention, okay?"

"After so many years of pain and suffering through our dedication to our cause, Inari has finally given us a blessing! Just recently, I found and saved a lost relative of our clan who has been subjected to a harsh life by cruel pirates...,"

The crowd began to jeer and boo loudly.

Zev held up his hands, "But she is safe with her family now, so please, allow me to introduce my beautiful niece, Dustine Wakanda!"

The three pirates watched as Zev stepped aside and all too familiar figure dressed in beautiful robes walked out into view.

"It's the kit!"

Kirsty nodded, "It's Dusty alright, but why is she with these guys?"

"I don't know, but I don't think we'll find out standing here," Niri nudged her friends along, "C'mon, there's gotta be a way in, or at least a weak spot in their security so we can sneak in and get some info,"

As they moved around in the crowd, Dusty caught sight of her old nakama and flinched slightly, No...!

Zev noticed his niece's flinch and followed her gaze. A smirk crossed his face.

-----

"You guys are wasting my time!"

An armored soldier flew through the air and plowed through a temple wall after being kicked by Axe, who was just lowering his foot. The pirate looked around at the fallen bodies of soldiers and the huddled forms of the temple workers.

He held up Herman's shell fragment, "The Fishman you got this from...where is he?" he demanded.

"We don't know anything about a Fishman!" a temple worker cried fearfully, "You must be mistaken, that was taken from a demon that was recently purified and sent to Hell!"

Axe cracked his neck, walked over and grabbed the temple worker, his hand around his throat. He held the shell piece close to the worker's face, "This thing came from a friend of mine. Now, you either tell me where he is, or I will show you a whole new definition of Hell!"

-Flashback-

_The large group of crewmembers ran full speed at Axe and soon the deck became a battlefield. For every man or woman that rushed him, Axe swung his mighty weapon around, knocking them away as best as he could._

_Kairi slowly walked away from the raging battle, and began to sing a song loudly_.

_"La dee da dee di, let's begin the genocide...la dee da dee dud, an ocean of blood...,"_

_"Kairi!!!"_

_Axe cut down a number of his attackers and turned to see that at least one of his crew were still on his side. It was Tommy, his sharpshooter, and he was aiming his large pistol "Redeemer" right at Kairi's head._

_The First Mate grinned, "Tommy-boy...you shouldn't point that at your captain,"_

_Tommy pulled the hammer back on the pistol, "You're not my captain. Axe is the man I swore my life to, and I will do everything to protect him!"_

_"Then go and save him," she challenged._

_"He can handle himself right now, with that group. He won't be touched by whatever corrupted you and the others. I won't help him in that fight, but if I kill you, then all this will be right!"_

_"Kill me?"_

_Tommy nodded, "Killshot to the head or heart will put you down, Lumina, that much I know,"_

_"Hope you have the right ammo,"_

_"Had it ever since you changed that night. I know what I'm doing," Tommy grit his teeth and began to squeeze the trigger, "Go to Hell!"_

_Kairi chuckled, "Fool...,"_

-End Flashback-

_Tommy tried to save my life that night. I failed to protect him and the others, but I won't mistake the same mistake twice!_

Axe began to tighten his grip on the worker, "Tell me...where he is,"

-----

"Alright, it's clear, come on!"

"Look out below!"

Devon held up his arms and caught Niri as she fell in from a higher window, "Gotcha!"

The former Marine lowered herself to the floor, "Nice catch. Kirsty's right behind me,"

Niri began to look around, but she didn't get far when she hear a loud "oof!" and a loud thud behind her. She turned to see that Kirsty was sitting across Devon, her knees on either of his face. Both of them were blushing to a degree.

"Are you guys gonna get down right here, or what?"

Both Devon and Kirsty shot a glare at her and Kirsty climbed to her feet, helping Devon up at the same time. Niri grinned slightly and looked around the room they were in. It was some kind of training room, filled with different kinds of weapons.

"This must be where they train their men to fight," Devon mused, taking a look around, "Lucky for us, no one's here,"

"Not now, but there was definitely someone here recently,"

Devon turned to Niri, "How do you know?"

Niri knelt down and ran her hand along the floor.

"Niri?"

The former Marine looked at her hand, then scanned the room, "I think this is where DJ fought for Dusty,"

"How do you know that?"

"Because, someone cleaned up recently," Niri rose to her feet and held up her hand to her friends, showing them small dots of red on her fingers, "They didn't do a very good job, though. There was definitely a fight here, I can still spot some blood around here,"

Kirsty looked around, "If DJ was here, and he did fight...then where is he now?"

Niri shook her head, "That's what we gotta find out,"

-----

"Man, I hate doing that to people sometimes," Axe muttered as he walked down a dark staircase, wiping his bloody hands on a cloth he found up in the temple, "Least they told me about this place before I went too far,"

The stairs didn't go far, but when he came to the landing, he knew he was in a place that shouldn't be connected to a shrine. He could hear lots of people talking, as well as some screaming, but they were coming from around the corner, so he didn't see what was causing it. Pressing his body against the wall, Axe slid to the doorway and peeked around the corner to find something that made his blood run cold.

"Sonofabitch...,"

A large room filled with people in both white and black coats walked back and forth while some machines dotted the floor. The white coated people were scientists, that he knew, just as he knew the people in black coats were World Government workers.

_Man, what is this Government up to now?_ he wondered before catching sight of some of the agents dragging an unconscious mermaid, her newly separated legs trailing behind her.

_Mermaid, hm? Guess that means I'm in the right place...but I can't go in there all gung-ho, not this time. __If Herman's in there, I won't be risking his life, but the lives of anything else these assholes are torturing...what to do?_

As he thought his options over, Axe noticed an agent walking in his direction. Axe grinned at the gift of luck some god just gave to him.

_If you can't beat 'em...join 'em!_

-----

"Where are we now?" Devon hissed as he quietly closed another door behind them.

"Looks like some kind of study," Kirsty thought aloud as they saw a large collection of books as well as a desk in the room they just entered.

Niri looked around, "Whoever comes here, they must really like to read...,"

"Reminds me of the dojo's library," Devon murmured, memories of his life at the dojo of Odin years back, "They usually have history and mythological texts in places like this. Maybe if we look through some of these things, we'll find out what the hell is wrong with this place,"

"Besides the obvious?" Niri cracked as she started pulling book after book off the shelves, "Read what you can, but don't take too long. I get the feeling if we linger, we'll have some company breathing down our necks,"

-----

_Heh, well, that was easy,_ Axe looked himself over, _I actually look pretty good...reminds me of aniki's outfit._

He had changed out of his clothes and donned the now dead Government Agent's uniform, which more or less fit him. Lucky for him, his weapon wasn't on him, otherwise it would stir some suspicion. After carefully stashing the body of the Agent, who now had a broken neck, Axe walked out into the mass of black and white coats.

_As much as I hate the Government, wearing the uniform is actually a blessing. I can walk around freely, but I got to be careful, or else I'll blow my cover._

"Oi! Hold up there, you!"

_Shit, not **that** fast!_ Axe gulped slightly and turned to see a somewhat overweight scientist walking up to him.

"You're the new guy, eh?"

"Well-,"

The scientist shook his head, "Don't give me any crap, just get these to the filing room!" he huffed, pushing a couple of thick folders into Axe's hands.

Axe's eye twitched, "I'm _not_ a secretary...,"

"Well, too bad, we're short handed as it is," the fat man pointed to a hall, "It's down there, last door on the left,"

Deciding it was best to keep it cool, Axe turned and started walking down the hall the man had pointed to.

_I'm looking for nakama, and here I am, being a paper-pusher! Are all the agents of the World Government like this, because if it is, why the hell haven't the revolutionaries won against them yet?!_

Grudgingly, Axe found and entered the filing room, only to toss the folders onto the closest table. He turned to leave, but stopped when a thought struck him, making him turn around to see all the file cabinets filling the room.

_These things gotta have something on what's going on here..._ he thought as he locked the door from the inside, _If I hurry, I bet I can find something juicy before I save Herman..._

-----

"Guys, check this out! Come over here,"

Dropping their texts, Kirsty and Niri walked over to Devon, who was hunched over a thick and dusty book filled with aged parchment. The old pages had faded writing as well as fading pictures of grotesque things ranging from demonic figures to people fighting them.

"What'd you find?" Kirsty asked, looking at the page. She winced a little, "I'm guessing that's not a book of fairytales to read to kids...,"

Niri frowned, "Devon, what is this?"

"This is the oldest thing I found. It's got mention of that goddess they were talking about, Inari in it,"

"Oh?"

Devon nodded and turned a page to show his nakama a portrait of a large fox surrounded by smaller, white foxes. He tapped the picture, "That's Inari, the kitsune goddess of rice, fertility, industry, world success, agriculture and of course, foxes,"

"She's beautiful," Kirsty breathed as she looked at the fox, "This is the goddess the clan worships?"

"Looks like it," Devon rubbed his chin, "The book says that the Wakanda's miko line began when Inari appeared before the leader of the clan at the time, at least a couple hundred years ago. It also says that with Inari's blessing, they received their holy magic and used it to cleanse the world of evil...,"

"They don't seem to be doing that very well right now, do they?" Niri rubbed her eyes, "I think we've spent enough time here, we better go. Sora and Pingu are waiting for us outside,"

"Good idea," Kirsty slapped Devon on the back lightly, "C'mon, big fella, let's go. Niri, what do...oh crap! I know that look, she found something shiny!

Devon ignored Kirsty's outburst, murmured under his breath and started to follow the others out of the room when something caught his eye. He stopped in his tracks as Niri tried to pull away from Kirsty and pulled a thin notebook from underneath the tome. His eyes scanned from side to side as he leafed through each page.

"Guys...,"

Niri and Kirsty stopped and turned to the First Mate.

"What now, Devon?

"We can't waste time here, baka!"

Devon waved the notebook before tucking it under his shirt, "I'll show you later then...c'mon, let's go!"

After checking to make sure the coast was clear, the three pirates started to make their way back to the training room. With surprising luck, they managed to not only find their escape route, but they also managed to climb out before anyone noticed they were ever inside.

_Her Devil Fruit and this clan's deity...could this whole ordeal be another twist by Fate?_ he wondered as he closed the window.

"Hehehe...rookies,"

Startled, the Axe-Heads spun around to see a woman in a red coat standing behind them on the roof of the mansion, her black hair blowing in the wind and a smug look on her face. Niri recognized her easily.

"Carmen Isabela...,"

The woman in red bowed, "In the flesh, Niri Zolaro! It's always a pleasure to meet another who shares my craft. Especially one who shares a mutual friend like we do,"

Niri scowled, "Mutual...friend? You mean Axe?"

Carmen shook her head, "No. Someone closer, I'm afraid,"

-----

While his friends were up top gathering info on the clan, Axe was down below the ground, gathering what info he could on the Government's dealings here.

_From what I've heard, this place is like Slayheim, but they're not torturing people with Devil Fruits...they're doing a whole new mess of shit against these people!_

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: Alright, there's that chapter! Hope you enjoyed it, I had some fun writing it.**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Carmen: Hehehe...I'm no rookie thief, kiddies. Things like this are easy for me!**

**Kirsty: HEY! My sai!  
**

**Axe: God, this is brutal...gotta find these guys before they suffer like this. **

**Herman: Bastards! What gives you the right to do this?!**

**Secrets Among Thieves**

**Niri: How do you know my father!?**


	19. Secrets Among Thieves

**Secrets Among Thieves**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"So, how'd you get up there without anyone seeing you?"

Devon looked down at Carmen as they scaled down the sides of the mansion, the notebook tucked safely away under his shirt. They decided it wasn't best to wait around for guards to show up, so following Carmen's lead, they quickly made their way away from the palace.

Kirsty jumped and landed on the ground, "Devon, she's one person and we're a group of three people and two animals," she pointed at Sora and Pingu, "I think she can manage,"

"She's right. Besides," Carmen set foot on the ground and immediately began walking away, "I'm no rookie thief, kids. Things like this are easy for me!"

Niri looked at Carmen's retreating back and went after her, "Carmen, wait! I got a question to ask you!"

"I know, Niri, I know,"

"You do?"

Carmen looked back at her as she kept walking, "Of course. I saw you earlier in town,"

"You did?"

"Yes. I know that you want to see if you can use my skills to help you out,"

Niri frowned, "Okay, if you saw us in town...first off, how is that possible without you getting recognized yourself?"

"One of the great skills of being a master thief,"

After a while, they were in an isolated part of the forest, far enough away from the mansion. Carmen turned to the trio, "I may be able to help you out, kids,"

Kirsty smiled, "Really!"

"Really really," Carmen walked up to her and Devon, "See, I'm not a cold-hearted thief, far from it. I want to be able to help you guys with whatever you're doing, so count me in," she patted them on the shoulders and walked back to Niri, who was frowning.

Carmen noticed the look and grinned, "What's that look for, Niri?"

The former Marine looked right at her, "What do you want, Carmen?"

"I don't know what you mean?"

Niri's frown deepened, "You're a thief, and thieves usually have an ulterior motive behind their rare good deeds. Trust me, I know, so what's your angle?"

Carmen shrugged, "No angle, really,"

"Yeah, bullshit!" Niri snapped, "Is there something in that mansion that you want? Do you want us to act as decoys or something? Listen lady, we have more important things to do than to help you fill your pockets! We need to help out our nakama, and if you want to use us for your own gain, then-,"

Carmen sighed loudly, cutting her off.

"My, you're suspicious," she shook her head, "You're just like your old man, ya know?"

Niri's eyes widened considerably, "My old man...?" she walked up closer to Carmen, a look slowly dawning on her face, "How do you know my father!"

Carmen wagged a finger, "I think, the more important thing here is your friend, little girl,"

"Niri, let's just forget this chick," Devon snorted, "If your hunch is right and she wants to use us for personal gain, than we should just try to get Dusty out of there on our own!"

The lady in red looked at Devon, "You really think you can do that, boy? That place is filled with not only strong enemies, but there are secret passages all over the building. If someone were to use the passages against you, and you have no idea where they are, then you're at a disadvantage,"

Devon scoffed, "I think I can handle something like that. No one sneaks up on us,"

Kirsty nodded in agreement, "Yeah!"

Carmen chuckled, "Is that so?" she reached into her coat and, to their surprise, pulled out Kirsty's golden sai and began to spin them around her fingers, "Care to rethink that answer?"

"Hey!" Kirsty looked down at her hip to find her weapons were indeed gone, "My sai!"

Devon's hands went for his swords, but he saw that all of them were gone as well, "What the-!"

Carmen pulled open her coat and showed them the weapons stashed inside.

"If I can steal your stuff out from under you like _that_," she tossed them their equipment, "You stand a small chance in that place,".

As Carmen talked to her nakama, Niri kept staring at her back.

_How did you know my father?_

-----

Zev stood in his study, looking at the disarray it was in. Books and papers were out of place, so it didn't take him long to figure out who was in here and what they were doing. He drummed his fingers on his arm as he scanned the room.

"They broke in, but they didn't come at all for Dustine as I had previously predicted," he murmured as he ran his hand along the old text on the table, "Instead, they snoop around for information. Hmm...these pirates are different than I thought. I wonder what they plan to do now?"

"Lord Zev!"

He turned to see a guard standing in the doorway, "Yes?"

"Milord, we've received a report that the temple shrine in Kinmo was attacked!"

Zev raised an eyebrow, "Attacked? Is it those so called Freedom Fighters?"

The guard shrugged, "We don't know, sir! We have reports that the workers and the miko there were attacked and questioned by a long man in black," 

"Where is he now?"

-----

Axe walked the corridors of the secret area beneath the temple shrine. He was done reading the documents from the filing room, and now he was going from room to room, looking for his missing nakama.

_These experiments they're running on these people...not only are they are illegal, but they're cruel and unusual..._ he thought as he poked his head in another room just time to see some of the doctors of the place cut into a still conscious mermaid.

Axe winced as the female screamed in pain, _God this is brutal...gotta find these guys before they suffer like this!_ he looked around, _I can't do anything for her right now, but if I hurry, I may be able to save her yet._

He pulled his head out of the room and kept walking down the corridor, his thoughts bent on finding Herman.

_Where are you, big guy? Gimme a sign!_ he pleaded to himself as he turned down another corridor. At that moment, as if it were a gift from some divine force above, Axe heard a scream, much louder than the mermaid from before. He recognized the yell and grinned slightly, _Thank you whatever god did this! Owe ya one!_

-----

Herman fell to his knees, his now scarred body smoking as though he had just gotten cooked for a high-priced dinner. Ever since he came out of that damnable fish-tank, the government agents and doctors put him through all sorts of crazy shit. They tested his pain tolerance with stabbings, they looked over his anatomy while he was still conscious to see how a lobster Fishman looked on the inside, and now, they were seeing how fire-proof he was, even with his shell shielding him.

The Fishman lifted his head, glaring at the group of people in front of him, "You bastards...what gives you the right to do this!"

The doctor from his first night in the fish-tank seemed to ignore him and looked over the clipboard in his hands.

"Subject LFM-001, also known as Herman, seems to be able to withstand a considerable amount of pain, more so than most of the other test subjects. Looks like he'll be a prime candidate for the procedure,"

Herman scowled, "What procedure? What are you talking about!" he demanded.

"Hm?" the doctor looked up at him, as if he was just noticing him, "Oh, it's nothing for you to worry about, my large, red friend. In fact, you shouldn't worry at all, you should be happy! Why, with your help, the World Government can further the research about merfolk and fishpeople considerably! Not only that, but if the procedure goes well, you'd look just like a human, but still retain your Fishman traits,"

_What!_ Herman winced as one of his wounds opened again, "You're gonna make me look like a human...?"

The doctor smiled and nodded, "Yes. You see, that's one of our goals here. It's a theory that our group has been working on for quite some time. The Fishman race is famous for racism towards the human race, so we believe with the conversion procedure, we'd be able to make them look like us. Understand?"

"You want them to look like you humans," Herman gasped for breath, "...in an attempt to make the racism stop?"

"Exactly! I'm glad you understand, my friend,"

Herman glared at him, "I'm no friend of yours, human. I know my people aren't exactly the friendliest race, but then what is? Who decides what race stays the same and what gets changed? The World Government!"

The doctor looked at him and began to write notes on the clipboard, "LFM-001 seems hostile towards the idea...suggest suppressive medication or shock therapy to bring it down to calmer levels,"

_That does it!_ Herman got to his feet and began to charge at him, but before he even got close, his legs gave out and he fell to the floor.

_Shit!_

"You shouldn't do anything so rash with injuries like that. It'll only cause more and more pain for you before the procedure. Now, I think it's time for your recovery period so if...yes, you there! Prep him!"

"Yes sir,"

Herman frozen at the voice as a pair of black shoes entered his line of sight.

"Alright, Fishman, on your feet," the agent muttered as he bent down and grabbed his arm, "I can't move you if you don't get up,"

Herman weakly and painfully got back to his feet and when he did, his eyestalks locked onto the agent holding him.

It was his captain! He was dressed in government clothes, but there was no mistaking his voice or his face.

Axe pulled Herman's arm around his neck, "Let's go, big fella,"

As the two of them walked away, the doctor cleared his throat, "I wouldn't do it like that. He may be weak now, but if you keep his arm around your neck, he may just snap it in half. I don't care how your superiors handle you in HQ, but in this lab, I won't be held responsible for stupidity,"

Axe came to a stop and grinned, "Too late for that...,"

"Hm?" the doctor kept looking at his clipboard, "What'd you say?"

"You're already responsible for stupidity. The stupidity was the action of hurting innocents, as well as my nakama!"

The doctor snapped his head up to see the young man standing in front of him while Herman was leaning against the wall behind him.

"What is the meaning of-!" he stopped when Axe held up a finger, the tip pointing at his forehead.

"_Shigan_,"

The doctor suddenly jerked as the clipboard clattered to the floor. Axe withdrew his bloody finger and both he and Herman watched as the now dead government doctor crumpled to the floor, a perfect hole in his forehead.

Herman looked away, "I do want people and my race to get along, captain, but their way is not the way I imagine,"

"Yeah, the World Government sure fucks these up like that," Axe muttered, wiping his finger on his clothes.

"Did you have to kill him?"

Axe looked down at the dead doctor, "Herman, there are times where you have to kill and then there are times when you don't have to kill. I did that because he was guilty of causing too much pain to you and the others in this place," he looked at his chef, "Too many humans and non-humans are in pain...and it's all their fault,"

Herman looked at him, "Well, I'm glad you came to find me, but what do we do now?"

"We free these other subjects, we tear this place down, then we go upside and look for Austin. You have any idea where he could be?"

"Sorry, no,"

"Well then, looks like we'll just have to look around again," Axe cracked his knuckles loudly, "Can you walk?"

"I can manage, captain,"

"Good...now let's go share our thoughts with the government, hm?"

-----

"Hiro-san! Hiro-san!"

The older man looked up from his meal to see Kei running up to him, "What is it?"

"It's that kid, DJ!"

Hiro frowned, "He took a turn for the worst?"

Kei shook his head, "Hell if I know!"

"You don't know? Then why the hell you come running up like that!"

"Because, DJ's gone!"

"WHAT!"

Chizuru and Azu sat quietly in the tent where DJ once lay. The bed he was once on was messed and had bloodstains from injuries, but there was no DJ.

"You think it was stupid of us to let him go off with those injuries, Chiz?"

"A part of me says yes, but a part of me says it was the right thing,"

"Would that part that says the right thing be the psychic part of you?"

"Hehe...maybe,"

"What do we do now?"

"We wait, I suppose...," Chizuru pulled out one of her larger daggers and looked at her reflection in it, _Good luck, DJ..._

-----

DJ's injuries had healed somewhat, but he was still in bad condition. Every step he took was painful, and he still couldn't see out of one eye, but that didn't bother him at all. All he cared about was Dusty and getting her out and away from this place once and for all.

_I don't know what that was about..._ he winced as he trudged through the forest towards the crescent mountain, _...but I have no other option at the moment! I have to trust in that dream I had, for Dusty-chan's sake!_

-Flashback-

**_DJ's Dream_**

_"Come on, big brother! This way!"_

_DJ ran after his little sister Sirena through the dense forest of Kinmotsu Island. He was surprised, but also happy to see that he could see and talk to her again, but there was something about it all that made his flesh crawl._

_"Come on! Hurry up, Big Brother!" Sirena called before disappearing from sight._

_"Sirena!" DJ ran after her, unable to use his Devil Fruit speed for some reason, "Where are you going!"_

_When he didn't receive an answer, DJ ran faster in the direction his sister was headed before she vanished. After what seemed like an eternity, DJ finally reached the destination and skidded to a stop. He was standing at the base of the crescent mountain, and at the base was a large hole in the rock. DJ walked closer to it and realized that it wasn't made naturally, as all the sides of the hole were neat and smooth, as if something or someone had cut into it like butter._

_"What is this?" he asked to no one._

_"This, young man, is the salvation you seek for your woman," a soft, tender voice whispered in his ear._

_DJ spun around and flinched when he saw a large, and very beautiful fox standing in front of him. It was so large, the kitsune's snout came to DJ's scalp while it's fur glistened in the sunlight._

_"What...who...how...?"_

_"Guess that leaves a why, when and where, hm?" the kitsune purred, the edges of it's mouth curling up into a smile, "Macleod, do you wish to save Dusty from the destiny her family has decided for her?"_

_DJ nodded rapidly, "Of course I do! I would do anything to make Dusty-chan happy! She doesn't deserve to be forced to live like or with those assholes, she deserves to live the life she chooses for herself!"_

_The kitsune looked at him for a while._

_"You have a good soul, and a pure heart, Macleod. Dusty is lucky to have a man like you after her heart. But, she won't be very lucky unless you can help her,"_

_"Tell me how! I'll do anything!"_

_The kitsune nodded to the mountain behind him, "This is the resting place of a weapon that will grant you the power to save Dusty from her fate. But," the large fox looked back at DJ, "...you will have to prove yourself worthy of it's power. If you fail at any time, you will die, and Dusty will be left to live a miserable life here. Do you understand?"_

_DJ looked right into the fox's eyes and nodded, "I understand,"_

_"Good...now wake up, baka,"_

-End Flashback-

_I gotta find this weapon...gotta find it before I keel over!_ DJ leaned against a tree and held his stomach, feeling the blood seep through the bandages, _As soon as this is over, I'm gonna yell at the baka Demon King...he gave me his freaky dreams!_

"DJ! What the hell happened to you?"

Hearing a familiar voice, DJ turned to see Niri, Kirsty, Devon, Sora, Pingu, and a lady in a red coat standing nearby.

"H-Hey...guys...just...going for a...," he trailed off and collapsed facedown into the dirt.

Devon rolled his eyes as Kirsty ran over to help him out, "You idiot...,"

Niri walked over and looked over her friend as Kirsty worked her ability on him, "Looks like Zev kicked his ass good,"

"Macleod getting his ass kicked," Devon shrugged, "What else is new?"

Niri shot a glare at him and looked at Kirsty, "Is he gonna be okay?"

Kirsty nodded, "Yeah, he'll be fine. I wonder what he was doing out here, though, with such injuries?"

_I have a faint idea..._ Carmen looked up at the mountain, _I've heard rumors that this place holds Raikiri, but even I haven't found any clue as to it's exact location_ she looked at Niri and her friends.

She opened her coat and pulled out an old photograph from the inside breastpocket. It was a photograph of three people. Two of them were dressed in Marine uniform while the other was dressed in civvies. One was a man with a strong look about him while the other was a woman with black hair and bright, but mischievous blue eyes. The other woman held a baby in her arms.

_I hope I can repay the debt I couldn't repay while you were alive, old friend..._

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: Alright, that one's done! It was interesting to do this chapter, and I'm aware that this is the second nakama who had a dream that was weird, but I promise not all the crew will have these dreams...hehehehe. What's in store for the gang now? Stay tuned!**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Axe: I'm _so_ glad I know a Fishman!**

**Zev: Prepare our forces, it's time to teach those fools who has the power here!**

**Devon: So, this sword is supposed to be in this mountain...the mountain with no entrance whatsoever?**

**Carmen: There's bound to be traps, so don't set them off. I'd rather not die here...**

**Trials for Treasure, Part One**

**Niri: Oh...crap...RUN!**


	20. Trials for Treasure, Part One

**Trials for Treasure, Part One**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

If things weren't bad enough for those at the temple shrine went Axe barged in and started to beat the crap out of them, the poor souls didn't stand a chance when a geyser of seawater burst out of the secret door leading to the government testing facility underground. The recovering temple workers screamed and fled in fear as numerous Fishpeople and merfolk rose from the watery depths, finally free of the government's hold on them.

"Finally...I thought I was gonna die in that place," a mermaid muttered, holding her head.

A Fishman nodded, "Who would've thought a human would free us?"

-Flashback-

_"Hey, it's that red guy again!"_

_The merfolk and Fishpeople turned to see Herman and a human in black standing outside the fish tank, the lobsterman tapping the glass._

_"That bastard, he's working with the humans now!"_

_The human grabbed the Den Den Mushi and held it up to his mouth, **"Don't worry guys, we'll have you out in a jiffy...Herman?"**_

**_"I can't punch it. They must've made the glass to withstand our strength,"_**

**_"Alright, lemme at it. Just make sure I don't die, alright?"_**

**_"You got it,"_**

_**"You guys may wanna move back,"** the human warned before stepping back._

_Before anyone could ask what he was gonna do, the human kicked the air and to their amazment, a beam of light shot from his leg and cut clean through the glass of the fish tank. The glass cracked and seconds later, the entire glass panel broke away and the sea water inside the tank poured out, dragging the occupants out._

-End Flashback-

"Anyone see them on the way up?" another mermaid asked.

"Look!" an older merman pointed to the secret door.

Everyone watched as Herman's red shell appeared, shortly followed by his entire body. The lobsterman climbed out of the stairwell, carrying the unconscious human under his arm. One of the Fishmen looked at him as he set the human down.

"Why'd he save us?"

Herman turned a stalk to him while his other stalks stayed on his captain.

"He saved you because he can't stand innocents get hurt," he said quietly.

"Why'd you save him? To return the favor?"

Herman chuckled and shook his head, "No. I saved him because he's my nakama, as well as my captain,"

"WHAAAAAAT?" every non-human cried out, gawking at him.

"Hang on," Herman clenched a fist and rammed Axe's chest, "COME BACK TO LIFE!"

As soon as Herman's fist hit Axe in the chest, the young treasure hunter jerked and a fountain of seawater erupted from his mouth. With the water out of his lungs, Axe coughed, trying to clear out the rest of it from his body.

Sitting up, Axe wiped his chin and looked around, "You're welcome, everybody...," he looked to Herman and patted him on the shoulder, "I am _so_ glad I know a Fishman!"

Herman just laughed.

Axe grinned and looked at all the water around them, "Still can't believe that they had that much seawater in there...,"

-----

"You mind repeating that?" Zev glared at the nearest soldier, "One more time?"

The soldier gulped, "The temple shrine in town, milord...it's been flooded and the Fishpeople have emerged from within! Our contacts have also reported that the man in black was seen with them, with a huge diamond axe on his back!"

Zev growled and turned back to the window facing Kinmo, "That is both unexpected and a nuisance,"

"That's Axe for you,"

Zev glanced at Dusty out of the corner of his eye. The kitsune was smiling slighty despite the scoldings she received from Lian who was trying to teach her things on how to be a proper Wakanda.

"Milord, what are your orders?"

The red-haired man kept looking out the window for a while.

"If this gets back to the Freedom Fighters, then no doubt they may see this as a chance to increase their forces and attack us," he thought aloud, "This may give us an advantage. Prepare our forces, it's time to teach those fools who have the power here!"

The soldier saluted and ran out of the room, leaving Zev alone with his family.

"Funny how things turn out," Dusty said to no one, "I may have agreed to stay here for the sake of my mother's life, but Axe and the others seem hellbent on overthrowing you, eh Uncle?"

That earned her a hard slap from Lian.

"Shut your mouth, Dustine!"

"Lian!"

The lord's wife looked up at him as her niece held her burning face, "What is it, dear?"

Zev turned to his family, "Don't punish Dustine, she still has her heart on leaving this place. She can't help her attitude and behavior towards us. Now, Ayane," he looked at his daughter, "You and Haschel go and lead our army against the Freedom Fighter's base. If any resist capture, kill them without hesitation!"

Ayane smiled and bowed her head, "As you wish, Father,"

-----

After regaining consciousness and finding his wounds healed thanks to Kirsty, DJ told everyone what had happened to him the night before, as well as the dream he had before coming out like he did. When he was done, silence greeted him.

Devon was the first to speak.

"So, this sword is supposed to be in this mountain...," he pointed to the crescent mountain the near distance.

DJ nodded, "Yeah, that's what I was told,"

"..the mountain with no entrance whatsoever?"

"...yeah,"

Devon nodded and turned away, "Makes sense,"

The others knew he was criticizing a little bit, but they chose to ignore him.

"DJ," Niri looked at her nakama, "Are you sure you wanna do this? I mean, it's based off a really weird dream...,"

"Niri-san," DJ looked right at her, "I have a gut feeling that this dream was telling me the truth! I need to find the sword so that I can go and save Dusty-chan! Please believe me," he bowed his head, "I do this for her love,"

Devon groaned and walked behind a tree.

"What are you doing?" Kirsty asked him as he walked away.

"I do this to throw-up from Macleod's lovey-dovey crap,"

After arguing, exchanging insults and other things, the group of outlaws soon found themselves a the base of the mountain, looking for the entrance that DJ was shown in his dream. DJ spent only a few moments running around the mountain, but he couldn't find anyway in, only large boulders and trees. When he came back, he kicked a pebble, "Dammit, where is it!"

Carmen looked at Niri, "Devil Fruit user, hm?"

"Yeah," Niri nodded slowly.

DJ ran his hands along the side of the mountain, "Come on, it's got to be here somewhere!"

Devon looked at his nakama, _Macleod may be a wimp and a weaker swordsman than me, but I know what it's like to be in love..._ he looked at Kirsty, then back at him and sighed, "Macleod, you so owe me for this," he growled as he unsheathed Geri. 

DJ looked back at him and facefaulted, "This is not the time for a fight, baka Demon King!"

Devon glared at him, "Just get the hell out of my way unless you wanna get killed by this," he gripped Geri with his right hand and held it outward, "_Ittoryu..._,"

"Everyone, back up!"

"_Tyr's Hand, Leaving's of the Wolf!_" Devon pushed off the ground and flew past a collection of boulders. Everyone watched as Devon landed on the other side of the boulders as a large set of cracks appeared on the rocks.

Carmen watched in amazement as the boulders crumbled apart into tiny pieces, _Such raw power in this boy! I haven't seen swordsmanship like that in a long time..._

When the dust and rocks settled, everyone was surprised to see a large doorway cut into the side of the mountain. Devon sheathed his weapon and walked back to the group, "You're welcome, and let's go already,"

As Niri and Carmen took the lead, Kirsty and DJ turned to Devon.

"How did you know it was there?" the two of them asked at the same time, "And why didn't you tell us?"

Devon snorted, "For one thing, I grew up listening to stories about legendary treasures back in Roguetown. If they're hidden in something that has no visible way in, than it's usually hidden behind something. As for why I didn't tell you...," he shrugged, "...I thought Macleod would've been able to figure it out on his own, but well...ya know,"

DJ's eyebrow twitched, "Sonofa...,"

"You're welcome, now come on already!" Devon cut him off and began following the two thieves into the mountain, "Watch yourselves,"

Kirsty stared at him as DJ walked off as well, "That still doesn't explain how you knew which rock to cut! Hey, wait for me!"

-----

The inside of the mountain was surprisingly open. The passage leading in was large enough for a much larger group to fit inside, and the walls were not only smooth, but there were even some evidence that it wasn't naturally made.

"Looks like we weren't the only ones looking for the sword,"

Kirsty looked at Devon, "How can you tell?"

Using one of the torches they made from a discarded pile of wood, Devon lowered the light source to illuminate the floor, which seemed to be littered with skeletons.

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Devon was surprised when Niri screamed and leaped into his arms, shaking like crazy. Kirsty looked at Devon, who held his hands outward.

"I am completely innocent here, Kirsty!" he said defensively.

Kirsty rolled her eyes and walked to the back of him, looking at Niri's terror-filled eyes, "Niri, what's wrong?"

Niri whimpered and shut her eyes, her nails digging into Devon's back, "D-D-Dead things. I hate dead things!"

Carmen looked at her and shook her head, "An ex-Marine turned thief who is terrified of dead bodies," she sighed, "Niri, what would your father think if he was alive to see you now?"

The sharpshooter glared at her, "Shut up, Isabela! Everyone has their fears!" she pointed to Devon, "This guy's terrified of spiders!"

Devon facefaulted, "Niri!" he glared at Kirsty, who conveniently turned away, whistling loudly.

DJ snickered, "Oh, that's _priceless_,"

"Rookies and idiots," Carmen shook her head and looked at the skeletons around her, "These things are really old by the level of decay on the bones. At least a couple hundred years old. Judging from the decay and the entrance being hidden...I get the feeling that no one wanted anyone else to come in here,"

"Well, with a sword that can supposedly cut lightning," Devon pushed Niri off him and onto DJ, "I'm not surprised that someone would want to keep this place hidden. I mean, just look at the corpses...or at least what's left of them,"

Kirsty looked at the bodies to see that a lot of them looked like they had been crushed by something heavy. She grabbed Devon's torch and looked at the ceiling, but all she saw was more darkness above her.

"Can...we please...get the hell away from here!" Niri hissed, "Just get the hell away!"

"Alright, alright," Carmen rolled her eyes and took the lead again, "With the bones around here, there's bound to be booby traps, so don't set any of them off," she warned the kids, "I'd rather not die here...,"

A loud clicking sound was heard and everyone turned to DJ, whose foot had pressed down on what looked like a pressure panel of some kind.

"Aw crap...," DJ sweatdropped as a loud rumbling was heard and the hall began to shake.

Devon glared at DJ, "You stupid sonofa-,"

"Shit!" Carmen pointed to something behind them. Everyone turned and went pale when they saw a huge boulder rolling towards them.

"WHERE THE HELL DID THAT COME?"

"Run for it!"

Like bats out of hell, the group of outlaws ran for their lives as the boulder chased after them.

"DJ, I HATE YOU!" Niri screamed in his ear.

"SO DO WE!" Kirsty and Devon shouted.

"I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!"

As they ran for dear life, the boulder got closer and closer to them, The threat of them being crushed seemed dangerously close. When it looked as though they would all die, something amazing and unprecedented happened.

The floor disappeared. One right after another, the adventurers fell into a pit of darkness just barely missing the boulder as it rolled over the pit. Despite their luck, the group hadn't escaped without suffering some injuries. They all lay on top of each other, limbs, paws and flippers sticking every which way.

Carmen looked up at the hole above their heads, "Well, for one thing, that was extremely lucky of us. Secondly, Macleod?"

"Yeah?" DJ's muffled voice came from somewhere in the pile of bodies.

"Where are you from, originally?"

"East Blue,"

"Are all the people from the East Blue a total spaz?"

"Pretty much," Devon grunted, "Macleod, get the hell off me!"

_WHAP!_

"OW! Who hit me!"

"_Everyone_ from the East Blue is a total spaz?" Kirsty snapped, "Devon...you, Austin, Dusty and I are from the East Blue, remember?"

Devon became silent.

Carmen sighed, "I _hate_ working with rookies,"

"Says the so-called master thief who couldn't see a booby trap right off," Niri reminded her, "How could you miss that!"

"Hey, even the masters have some off days! Besides, it's your idiot friend who set it off. Nice going, Macleod, you almost killed us all!"

The pit went quiet for a short while.

"So, are we gonna try and get out of here, or are we just gonna die here?"

"We're moving, Niri and...okay, who the hell is touching my ass?"

"Sorry, Kirsty," Devon apologized, "Yeah, let's get untangled here before I end up touching Macleod's groin or something,"

"Too late,"

"I hate you _so_ much...,"

-----

While they were looking for the sword that could save Dusty, Ayane and Haschel marched through the forest, leading their armed forces towards the Freedom Fighters hideout.

"Uncle Haschel, is the information reliable?" Ayane asked, turning to the elderly man.

Haschel nodded and donned spiked, metal gloves, "Very reliable, my dear,"

Ayane smiled and fingered her jutte's handle, "Good. I've been looking forward to some fun like this for a long time,"

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: Alright, the first chapter of the treasure hunt is done! I know it's kinda blah, and the giant boulder thing is Indiana Jones-ish, but I wanted some booby traps in this area, and with the help of a few friends, I'll have some good ones in here. Later ya'll, hope ya'll enjoyed it so far!**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Niri: DJ, if you ever do that again, I will strangle you myself!**

**Carmen: Alright, if we're gonna find this thing and get out alive, we have to be careful.**

**Devon: Move, move, move!**

**Kirsty: Don't step into the light!**

**Trials for Treasure, Part Two**

**DJ: We're almost there, I can feel it in my gut...or is that hunger?**


	21. Trials for Treasure, Part Two

**Trial for Treasures, Part Two**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"I...hate...this place...already,"

"I've been hating it ever since we saw the bone bags,"

Devon grunted as he pulled himself on the rope that was hooked to something on the outer area of the pit they were in. After untangling themselves from the mass of bodies, the group of adventurers thought of a way out of the pit that saved them from the boulder. To their surprise, but also their relief, Carmen had a rope and a grappling hook hidden on her person. So, with a good toss and a short test, they began climbing the rope.

When they were all free of the pit, Carmen unhooked her grappling rope from a large crevice in the floor and tucked it away into her jacket.

"Why didn't you use that before?" Niri asked, glaring at Carmen a little, "We could've swung out of the boulder's way!"

Carmen shook her head, "No, we couldn't have, Niri. Trust me, the best we could've done was swing a little forward, swing back, hit the boulder and _still_ get crushed,"

Niri muttered something under her breath and turned away, taking a seat on the cold, stone floor. DJ looked to the other side of the pit, to the direction from whence they came.

"I gotta tell you, I didn't see that coming...the giant boulder thing,"

"Yeah, and I'm guessing those bodies back there didn't see it coming until it steamrolled over them," Carmen muttered under her breath as she picked up one of their torches they were able to save, "Alright, kiddies...if we're gonna find this thing and get out alive, we have to be careful," she shot a light glare at DJ, "_All_ of us,"

"Damn right!" Niri rose to her feet and grabbed DJ by his neck, "DJ, if you ever do that again, I"ll strangle you myself!" she hissed as she began strangling the poor musician.

Kirsty looked at Devon, "Should we stop her?"

He shook his head, "Naw, let 'em finish...if we're lucky, we'll lose an idiot,"

"Devon!"

"What?"

-----

After prying Niri's hands off DJ's throat, the group made their way further into the mountain. They kept their eyes and ears open for anything out of the ordinary, so no one would accidentally set off another trap. Things went smooth for awhile, nothing came out at them and no one set anything off, so the group's morale was pretty good...until they came into a small room with beams of light shooting from every wall.

Carmen looked around, "I got a bad feeling about this,"

"Gee, is that the master thief sense you have?"

The thief's eyebrow twitched, _Ignore her...ignore her, she doesn't know what she's doing..._

"So...," Kirsty looked the room, then at her friends, "What do we do?"

As if on cue, Pingu separated himself from the group and began to walk out into the room.

"Pingu!" Niri started to go after him, but Carmen caught her, "Hey!"

The thief shook her head, "We need a tester,"

Pingu slowly walked along the floor, eyes darting from side to side, _Nothing coming out to kill me **yet**...still, can't let my guard down!_

Everyone watched anxiously as Pingu walked along the floor of the room. They were expecting something to happen, but nothing happened and Pingu was soon all the way on the other side of the room.

"Huh," DJ put his hands on his hips, smiling, "I guess that's that then. Let's keep going, everyone!"

_There's something not right here..._ Carmen thought as DJ stepped into the room, _Someone had to have gotten past the boulder before us, so there should be more booby traps. So, where-_ her eyes widened when she saw DJ pass into a beam of light, "MACLEOD! GET DOWN!"

Without a second thought, DJ hit the floor just as a metal spear shot out of the nearest wall and pierced the same beam of light he had just passed through. DJ looked back just in time to see the spear retract back into the wall.

"Holy shit...!"

"Macleod, don't move!" Carmen yelled to him, "Not yet!"

DJ nodded slowly and became still, "Don't worry, I ain't going anywhere,"

Carmen sighed, "That was close. I'm just glad I was able to realize it before he got skewered,"

Niri glared at her, "You couldn't figure that out before he went out there?" she shrieked.

"Be glad I figured I figured it out at all!" Carmen shot back.

Kirsty came between them, "Alright, alright, calm down you two! Look, we're not gonna get anywhere just by standing around arguing,"

"Or laying down!" DJ threw in from his spot on the floor.

"Macleod, you're a dead man, dead men don't talk!" Devon yelled at him, "So shaddup!"

"I ain't dead yet, Demon!"

"ENOUGH!" Kirsty screamed, her voice bouncing off the walls.

Everyone became silent.

Kirsty rubbed the bridge of her nose, "Alright. We've established the fact that this room," she pointed to the room in front of them, "...is booby-trapped with metal spears that come out when you step into a light beam, apparently, and obviously we need to get across before we can continue. However, we can't go pass through the light or else we get impaled by a hidden spear. Does anyone have any ideas?"

"Besides leaving Macleod out there?" Devon cracked, earning a punch to the stomach from the doctor.

"I have an idea," Niri said loudly as Devon doubled over, coughing.

-A short time later...-

"Easy, now...easy,"

"This is going too slow,"

"You wanna go slow and live, or fast and die, kid?"

"Shut up, Isabela. Your fault that DJ almost got killed,"

"Don't step into the light!"

"I know, Kirsty, I know!"

One by one, the pirates and the master thief slowly made their way across the room. It was Niri's idea that they go separately so they wouldn't set more than one trap off by accident. It was also her idea that they go as slow as possible when moving under or above the beams of light so the spears wouldn't shoot out and kill them. Sora didn't have that problem; he just kept his tail low to the floor and trotted across the room to join Pingu.

"Macleod, how are you doing?" Devon asked as he slid across the floor on his belly, barely missing a beam that passed over him, "Still with us?"

DJ, who was still laying on the floor, gave a thumbs up, "Just fine and dandy, Demon King. I'm laying here, enjoying the thought of being impaled if I move wrong...HOW DO YOU THINK I'M DOING!"

Ignoring the yells of her nakama, Niri looked at Carmen as the two of them made their way across the room.

"Carmen?"

"Yeah, Niri?"

"How did you know my father?"

Carmen paused momentarily and looked at her for a few seconds before continuing her trek, "He and I were very close, years ago,"

Niri stopped, "Very...close?"

"Yeah. Don't worry, it was nothing major. He and I were in the Marine Academy together years back,"

"The Academy?" Niri frowned, "You were a Marine?"

Carmen nodded as she paused, "Yeah. Your father and I had training together, as well as strategy lessons and chores. We were kinda infamous back then,"

"Why?"

"Well, for one thing, he was very good at target practice and I was very good at infiltration stuff. You know, picking locks, sneaking in, getting information...that kind of thing," Carmen chuckled a little bit, "We got into a lot of trouble at times, though. You wouldn't believe how many times we saved each other's asses whenever we got into too deep,"

"How'd you become a thief?"

Carmen grinned, "That's an interesting story, actually. A year or so after you were born, I got bored with the Marine life,"

"_Bored?_"

"Yeah...don't get me wrong, it was a decent life in the Marines, but I didn't have many challenges, especially with my skills. So, I left the Marines and became a thief. I tell you, it was one of the best choices I ever made, Niri! The thrill of getting through tight-knit security traps, eluding the law...it was fantastic! The thief life had the challenge I wanted, so I stayed a thief,"

"My father must've been mad at you for that,"

"He was, at first, but he knew that once I made up my mind, there was no changing it. I owed him big time, but I was unable to repay it before he died,"

"Owed him?"

"He saved my life. I got caught and he was there watching over me while they were waiting for the rest of the Marines to show up. I thought for sure that he would turn me in, but he told me to run. I was surprised, but I took the chance. But, before I could leave, I thought about his career and what would happen if they found out he helped me escape. I didn't want my old friend to get into trouble, so I knocked him out and ran,"

The two thieves looked at each other, completely ignoring their surroundings and their companions for a moment.

Carmen closed her eyes, "When he died, my heart broke when I realized that I couldn't pay him back for that thing he did for me. But, I saw an opportunity a couple of years ago when I heard his daughter was imprisoned for murder. I knew that no child of his could commit murder, so I thought if I helped you out, my debt would be repaid, but I got sidetracked many times and before I knew it, you were free and on the run," 

"Carmen...,"

"Hey, are you guys coming or what?"

Snapping out of their conversation, Niri and Carmen turned to see that everyone was already all the way across to the other side of the room...except DJ who was still laying on the floor.

"DJ," Niri's eyebrow twitched, "What are you still doing there?"

"Carmen told me not to move...,"

"YOU DON'T NEED PERMISSION TO MOVE!" everyone screamed at him, "GET UP ALREADY!" 

-----

After the room with the spears, the group came to yet another room. This one was much larger than the last one, and luckily it had no beams of light shooting from the walls. It did however, look odd. The floor was made entirely out of tiles and on the far side of the room, was a large, metal door.

"We're almost there, I can feel it in my gut," DJ whispered before looking down at his stomach, "...or is that hunger?"

Devon rolled his eyes, _Idiot._

"Anyone wanna take a bet on whether or not this room is rigged with booby traps?" Kirsty muttered sarcastically.

"There is a definite possibility," Carmen bent down and picked up a nearby rock, "Let's test it out, eh?". She threw the rock up and down a few times before tossing it into the room. Everyone watched as the rock hit the floor and skipped a few times before coming to a stop.

Nothing happened.

Not one thing.

Devon clicked his tongue, "So...who's going first?"

Everyone looked down at Pingu. The penguin noticed them looking at him and backed away.

_'Oh no! No way!'_ he waved his flippers around, _'I was the test dummy last time!'_

"Anyone have any idea what he's saying?" Carmen asked, pointing to the honking bird.

"Trust us, it's best not to ask what he's saying," Kirsty and Devon said together as they shook their heads.

"I'll go," Niri volunteered as she took a deep breath, "We can't stay here all day debating who goes first, otherwise we'd never get anywhere,"

She exhaled loudly and started to move forward, but she stopped when Carmen brushed past her and stepped onto the tiled floor. The red-clad thief tapped the floor, the sound of her boot echoing in the room.

"Seems pretty sturdy, so it's no pressure plate. Let's see if my luck holds out, hm?"

-----

Axe and Herman waited on in the now empty streets of Kinmo, just outside the weapons store. When they and the recently freed merfolk and Fishpeople came into the area, the citizens panicked and rushed inside their houses, locking the doors behind them.

After being freed, all the capable denizens of the deep decided it was time to go and pay the lord of the island a little visit. The little visit, in their minds, was to storm their estate and kill the bastards who kept them locked up. Herman tried to keep them from resorting to such violence with talking, but the best he could do was getting them to promise not to attack those who were unarmed.

Though blood will be spilled, Herman was somewhat glad he got his message across. Now, he and Axe were waiting while the able-bodied non-humans armed themselves. The ones too young, too old, or too heavily wounded were staying just outside the town limits, out of danger.

Axe looked up at the direction where the palace was supposed to be, "Well, Herman...this will be quite a sight, eh?"

"Yeah, it will, Cap'n...yes, it will,"

-----

_Okay, that was stupid of me...damn, what is wrong with me today?_

Carmen looked down to the pit of spikes that lay below her. She was currently hanging onto one of the tiles of the floor, hanging for her life. She had walked around the room a few minutes before, taking things as easy as possible until one of the tiles she was standing on broke away. She was startled, but thinking quickly, she was able to save herself from being impaled in the pit below.

"Carmen!" Niri's voice called out to her, "Are you okay?"

The thief grunted and pulled herself up onto the tile, "I'm fine...don't worry about me, I'm used to this sort of thing!"

_But, what I'm not used to is getting caught off guard like that. With that and the failure to see the last trap...something must be wrong with me._

"What do we do now?" Devon asked from the other side of the room.

Carmen looked at the group of kids and shrugged slightly, "We just have to be careful, I guess. Seems like that only some of the floor here doesn't break away, so it looks like we just have to move on the ones that don't break away,"

"Any idea which ones do that?"

The thief shook her head, "None at the moment...you kids got anything?"

Niri looked around at the room, then at the older thief, then began chewing on her thumbnail.

The tiles weren't affected when she threw the stone, only when she stepped on them. So, in order to find out what tiles are false and what are good, we'd have to step on the tiles to try them out, but if we fail, we'd fall and die in that pit. Hmmm... she looked at her friends, "DJ, you're needed,"

"Oh great, Macleod's gonna help!" Devon threw his arms in the air, "And he's been so useful so far!"

Kirsty slapped him upside the head, "Hush!"

"Ow, what the hell-?"

She slapped him again, "Hush, I said!"

Devon rubbed his head, "That hurts, ya know,"

"DJ," Niri took her friend by the shoulders and looked right at him, "You need to run all around the room for us,"

"What?" DJ blinked a few times, "Wait, why?"

"That's a good question," Kirsty added.

Niri sighed, "The tiles break away when someone steps on them, meaning that's it's very dangerous for us to try and find a right path,"

"Then why-?"

"But!" Niri held up a finger, "With your Devil Fruit ability, you should be able to run around and find the right and wrong tiles without falling into the pit. DJ, you're the only one who can do this...please,"

DJ looked at her, his friends, Carmen, then at the door on the other side and nodded.

"You got it, Niri-chan! I'll do it,"

The plan makes sense... Devon looked at the room again, ...and Macleod is actually gonna be useful here. Didn't see that coming.

"Carmen!" Niri waved to her fellow thief, "DJ's gonna find all the bad tiles! Just hold your ground there, alright?"

The other thief gave a thumbs-up.

"Ready when you are, Niri," DJ said, stretching his legs, "Just give the word,"

"GO FOR IT!"

Like a gunshot, DJ sped into the room and raced around, the false tiles breaking away behind him.

Devon couldn't help but grin as DJ cleared the room, "Move, move, move! Go Macleod!"

Kirsty and Niri stared at him, "Did you just cheer for DJ?"

"I know...I think I'm sick or something,"

After a short period of time, DJ rejoined his friends, a big and proud grin on his face, "Good enough for ya?"

Devon looked behind him to see that every single false tile had broken away, while the safe tiles made a path from their end of the room to the other end of the room. He patted DJ lightly on the shoulder and started walking on the path, "Not bad, Macleod...you're actually useful for something!"

"Great job, DJ!" Niri kissed him lightly on the cheek, "You were a big help!"

DJ's grin widened, "Anything for you ladies!"

Carmen shook her head as Devon approached her, "Is he always-?"

"Yeah, he is. Just do what I do and ignore him...,"

After a careful trip along the path of tiles, the group now stood in front of the large metal door on the other side of the room. Carmen gently pushed the door open and a loud creaking sound echoed around them as she did so. When she opened it up all the way, she and the others looked into what lay in front of them.

"Whoa...,"

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Kilnorc: Well, what to say about this chapter? I had a long time figuring this stuff out and I knew I couldn't fit every trap into the treasure hunting thing for some reason. I do have one more trap in mind, one that a friend of mine suggested, so I'm gonna use that and get to the good part. YES, the spears and light thing was Indiana again, and another friend thought it'd be a good trap, so I put that in there.**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**DJ: We found it! No one got killed either!**

**Carmen: Shit! Thought I was fast enough...I'm getting too old for this shit.**

**Niri: It's beautiful...**

**DJ: Why does it reject me?**

**Trials for Treasure, Part Three**

**Devon: There's something here... **


	22. Trials for Treasure, Part Three

**Trials for Treasure, Part Three**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

"Whoa...,"

The last room in the mountain was huge and beautiful, looking as though whoever built the rooms behind them took extra care to build the room they were standing in. The room far larger than even the last room, and it was circular in design. The walls were curved, very smooth and covered with a beautiful mosaic. In the very center of the room was a pedestal, and on top of that pedestal was a long, gold covered chest.

"We found it...," DJ quickly made his way to the pedestal, grabbed the chest and held it over his head, "We found it! No one got killed either!" he shouted happily

"Anyone wanna bet that Macleod just jinxed us?" Devon cracked and immediately covered his head to dodge a smack from Kirsty...a smack that never came. He looked at her, surprised, "You're not gonna hit me?"

"You have a point," Kirsty shrugged, then eyed him, "You _want_ me to hit you?"

"Er...ask me again after a few beers later, alright?"

"Niri, Carmen, one of you help me crack this puppy open!" DJ said excitedly, waving the chest around.

Carmen glanced at Niri, "Idiot...,"

"You have no idea," the younger ex-Marine muttered, "Alright, DJ, alright...set it down and I-,"

"I will try my work on it," Carmen interjected, reaching into her coat.

Niri glared at her, "Hey, lemme have some time with stuff like this!"

Carmen shook her head, "Kid, I have had years of experience in this sort of thing, I know what I'm doing,"

"Years of experience and yet we still almost died back there," Devon murmured from behind, earning a nod from Kirsty.

The older woman ignored him, but her eyebrow twitched noticeably as she pulled out a small leather bundle from her coat. Niri looked on as Carmen unrolled the bundle on the stone floor and stared at the contents inside.

"Wow...,"

"Like what you see, eh?" Carmen smiled as she held up a strange looking device, "Glass cutter. Perfect for getting into a window without going all smashy smashy and alerting people," she looked down at her bundel again, "Picklock stuff, mirror-,"

"Mirror?" Niri repeated, "Why-?"

"Use it to look around a corner or under a door to see if anyone's coming," Carmen explained, "That's rookie stuff and you didn't know that?"

Niri's face turned red a little and she walked off to check out the rest of the room with Devon and Kirsty while DJ bounced up and down excitedly nearby. As Carmen prepped herself to get the chest unlocked, the roaming pirates explored the room.

The room was beautiful and carefully carved, but the thing that caught their eyes was the mosaic painting. It went all around the room and even though the rest of the rooms in the mountain were ancient looking, this room was strangely well preserved. The mosaic painting didn't even have a single crack, speck of dust, or chipped spot anywhere.

"What's with this room?" Kirsty wondered aloud as she walked around, "Why is it in such good condition while the other rooms are crap?"

"I can't help but wonder who built this place," Devon ran a hand across the mosaic, "The skeletons we saw when we first entered, according to Carmen, were at least a couple hundred years old. I seriously doubt that Dusty's messed up ancestors would've built this place. I mean, if I had a sword that could supposedly cut lightning, I'd keep it where I'd have access to it at all times,"

"Maybe whoever built this place didn't want the Wakandas to get it," Niri offered, "If they're as strong as DJ said, based off what he was told from the Freedom Fighters, they would be even worse if one of them got the sword,"

Carmen, meanwhile, was busy trying to get through the chest. Normally, it'd be no big deal for her, but with the hopped up Devil Fruit user distracting her...

She sighed and looked up from her work, "Macleod?"

"Yes, Carmen-san!"

"Do me a favor,"

"Anything, Carmen-san!"

"Get the hell away from me, I'm trying to work,"

"Right away!" DJ gave a salute and walked over to his friend to bug his friends while she continued her work, "Hey guys, what's going on?"

_One kid is a pain in the ass, one kid likes to make fun of the other one and the others a neutral party..._ Carmen shook her head, _How does she put up with these guys?_

As she worked and while his friends explored the rest of the room, DJ stared at the mosaic painting that circled the entire room. It was a beautiful painting that depicted lone samurai warrior facing down a giant fox with six tails as lightning streaked across the sky. The painting showed different images of these two beings all around the room. The mosaic showed the samurai engaging the giant six-tailed fox with a beautiful sword in his hand. The fox seemed to throw lightning bolts at the samurai, and as the painting continued, it seemed that the samurai would fall to the giant monster, but on the last part of the mosaic, the samurai leaped through the mess of lightning and cut into the giant fox with his sword, arcs of electricity coursing through it's body.

"Some piece of work, isn't it?"

DJ turned to see Devon standing just behind him, looking at the painting as well.

"Yeah, some piece of work," DJ turned back to the painting, "Sarutobi against the Rokubi. I can see where _Raikiri_ got it's name from," he pointed to the last panel where the samurai cut into the fox, "See? It went clean through the bolt of lightning and used it's power against the Rokubi,"

Devon frowned and stared at his fellow swordsman, "How the hell do you know all that, Macleod?"

DJ went silent for a few moments, then shook his head, "I have no idea how I know all that, Demon...I really don't, but I have it in my head for some reason. Sarutobi is the samurai who wielded _Raikiri_," he pointed to the man then pointed to the fox, "Rokubi is the six-tailed fox who was defeated with the help of his own lightning,"

_How the hell does he know this?_ Devon looked at DJ for a few moments, _There's no writing on the wall of the painting, he can't have gotten any of the story from that, so where is he getting this information from?_

A loud scream from behind snapped Devon out of his thoughts and the two of them turned to see Carmen laying on the floor. The chest was on the floor, opened up, but Carmen seemed to be writhing in pain as some kind of smoke rose from her body into the air.

"Carmen!" Niri ran to her to find Carmen was holding her chest and stomach, the smoke rising from her abdomen as a foul stench filled her nostrils, "Oh geez, what is that?"

The older thief winced and panted loudly as pain wracked her body, "S-S-Stupid...trap...,"

Niri glanced at the open chest, then back at her fellow thief, "What kind of trap was in there?"

Carmen slowly moved her hands away and Niri gagged when she saw Carmen's flesh was horribly burned and her stomach and some of her chest looked like they were melting off.

"God...damn trap...," Carmen gripped Niri's shoulder, "Shit! I thought I was fast enough...I'm getting too old for this shit,"

"Kirsty! Get over here now!" Niri shouted to her nakama, "Carmen's hurt really bad!"

Kirsty ran as fast as she could to the two of them and examined Carmen's injuries from the trap, "Oh my...this is bad! These are serious burns, I'm surprised you're not screaming your head off because of the pain!"

Carmen grinned, but the smile quickly disappeared, "I've been around for a long time...I'm used to dangerous traps, but that one is one of the worst ones I've seen...,"

"What kind of trap was it?" Niri asked her again, "A fireball or something?"

"Hehe...hehe...fireball? Kid, that's so childish. There was...some kind of salt in there...made contact...,"

"Save your breath, Carmen," Kirsty cut her off, "You're in pain and I don't know what that 'salt' or whatever it was did to your body besides practically melting your flesh off your bones, but if you keep talking...well, just shut up, okay?"

Carmen became as quiet as possible, but it was hard to do with pain coursing through one's body.

While the two of them tended to Carmen and her injuries, Devon and DJ looked at the chest and it's contents. Inside the chest was a long object, wrapped in a beautiful, red silk cloth. No doubt it was the sword they had been searching for, the _Raikiri_. DJ picked the chest up off the floor and slowly pulled the cloth away.

"Whoa...,"

"Ditto...,"

Under the cloth was a beautiful katana in a dark blue sheath with a small cloud pattern painted on it. The handle of the sword looked similar to that of a sabre, but only thinner and it looked lighter. DJ looked at Devon and the blonde returned the look. DJ took a deep breath, reached in, grabbed the sword and pulled it out. As soon as it left the box, DJ's arms dropped considerably, causing him to frown.

"It's heavy...,"

"I doubt it could be heavy. You're just not that strong," Devon muttered, swiping the sword from his hands. As soon as he did, Devon's arms dropped as well, "It _is_ heavy,"

DJ swiped it back, "Told you...wonder why it's so heavy?"

"I dunno. Take the sword out, maybe it's the blade?" Devon suggested.

"Maybe...," DJ grabbed the sword's handle and with a grunt and a surprising amount of effort, he pulled the sword out of the sheath. A loud ringing was heard and everyone stared at the sword in awe. The blade was much like a katana, but slightly curved like a sabre, and it had a light blue shade with a reddish-yellow tint.

"It's...it's beautiful," Niri whispered, "I may not be a swordswoman, but that is an awesome sword!"

Carmen grinned as Kirsty finished up her treatment, "You just like it because it's a beautiful treasure," she chuckled, "I know how it is, Niri...,"

DJ looked the sword over as best he could, despite the sword forcing his arm to go lower, "Why...is it so heavy? Is it...is it possible that it rejects me?"

"Reject?" Kirsty frowned, "I don't understand,"

Devon folded his arms, "Many different swords have personalities. Roronoa's _Sandai Kitetsu_ has a mind of it's own. He told me that it lashed out at the bounty hunters of Whiskey Peak without him controlling it," he rubbed his chin, "Interesting,"

"But, why does it reject me?" DJ asked aloud as he tried to lift the sword, "We went through all this just to find it, but it would've been utterly pointless if it rejects me and I can't use it!"

The nittoryu user opened his mouth but before he could say anything, his hands went to his swords and he snapped his head around. DJ soon followed suit, still holding the heavy blade.

"What? What is it, you guys?" Kirsty asked, "What's wrong?"

Niri and Carmen looked at the two of them, sharing frowns.

"Feel that, Demon?"

Devon nodded, "There's something here...,"

The women started looking around as well, but none of them could see anything or anyone besides them in the large room.

"It rejects you, because you are not strong enough," a deep voice boomed around them.

Devon pulled out his blades, "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"Devon...,"

The blonde warrior turned to DJ, who was staring at something ahead of him. Devon followed his gaze and froze. Kirsty, Niri, Pingu, Sora, and Carmen stared ahead, sharing the same expressions of the two males.

Standing on the other side of the large room, was a transparent figure dressed in an old, tattered kimono. The figure had the face and body of a young man in his twenties with long black hair tied in a ponytail that went down his back. He wore wooden sandals and a katana at his sash which was tied around his tattered clothing.

Devon lifted his swords, "Who or what are you?"

"I know who he is," DJ stepped forward slowly, "Samurai Sarutobi, the last owner of _Raikiri_,"

_Sarutobi?_ Devon turned to look at the mosaic, _No way!_

"Is he a ghost?" Kirsty asked in a hushed voice.

DJ nodded, "Yes, he is. Though, I do not know why he is still lingering in this world. Sarutobi, what keeps you here?"

The samurai smiled, "My sword keeps me here," he pointed to Raikiri, "In life, I used that sword to defeat the Rokubi and seal away it's power within. It is my eternal duty to make sure that the power of the Rokubi is never unleashed again,"

"How can the power of a giant dead fox be unleashed?" Niri asked, confused.

Devon sheathed his blades, "When something dies, it's spiritual presence either leaves the world of the living and joins it's kin in the heavens, or it lingers on the earth, keeping some of it's potency,"

Sarutobi nodded, impressed at Devon's explanation, "A swordsman who knows the old ways,"

Devon shrugged, "Not really, I just know what I read,"

"So, you're saying that the power of the Rokubi," DJ looked at _Raikiri_, "...is locked away in this sword?"

"Yes, I'm saying that," Sarutobi nodded, "It's power is incredible. Out of those who fought against the beast, I was the only one who managed to stop it. I used my blade to use it's own power against it. When it died, it's spiritual energy was absorbed by the sword and now, the sword is pulsing with it's power. Before I died, I was the only one who could keep it's power from being unleashed and misused. I was the only one who could protect the people of this world from it,"

_Power of the Rokubi..._ DJ looked at the sword again, then looked back at Sarutobi, "Samurai! Please, I need this sword in order to save someone close to my heart! Tell me what I have to do to make it accept me!"

Sarutobi shook his head, "I cannot tell you what you have to do. It is up to the sword itself,"

"There must be something!"

The spirit of the samurai looked at DJ for a bit, then reached for the katana at his hip, "There is one thing we could do,"

DJ sighed, "I know where this is going,"

"Same here," Devon walked back to make room, "Back up ladies, this is gonna get interesting,"

The two swordsmen, both living and dead, waited until the others were safe enough away before taking stances. Sarutobi pulled out a normal katana, though it was transparent as he was and DJ struggled to keep the _Raikiri_ up in front of him.

"If you fail, you will die, boy," the spirit warned him, "Are you sure this is the path you choose?"

DJ nodded, "This is the path I've chosen, samurai,"

"Then let's begin,"

A loud thunderclap startled Zev out of his nightly reading. The Wakanda male looked out the nearest window to see massive storm clouds gathering in the sky above, blocking the night sky, both moon and stars, from view. He removed his reading glasses and set his book down, "A storm? Haven't had one of those in a while...,"

"You are weak...as I said before," Sarutobi lowered his ghost sword as DJ hit the floor, sporting new wounds, "You are not worthy of wielding my blade, boy. I'm sorry, but you made the journey into the mountain just to die,"

DJ coughed blood as he lay on his side, "I can't die here...I have someone to protect!"

Sarutobi turned to look at him, "You're not strong enough to protect anyone, boy! If you are not strong enough to do _that_, you are not strong enough to call yourself a swordsman,"

The brunette grit his teeth and closed his eyes, _Not strong enough to protect anyone..._

-Flashback-

_The tavern of Ongaku Island was lit up in celebration. The famed musicians of the island were playing, dancers were dancing, and drinkers were… well,__ drinking A small crowd gathered around a piano, not focusing so much on the__sound, but the one who was making the music come forth. Sitting on the piano stool was a short brunette boy, nimbly playing at the keys and singing along with the corresponding song._

**_"I am a thief,  
A lone figure.  
A stranger at the gates of death,  
A watcher by night,  
Making sure none slip away before their time…"_**

_The talent of this youngster, to be playing like a professional pianist at such an age. The patrons looked him over, he couldn't be more than a few years old and yet he was playing just as well as some of the adults._

_Poika,the daughter of the tavern owner smirked and gave a thumbs up as she watched  
her friend. "Great job Duncan-kun!"_

_The boy grinned and returned the gesture as he finished the song. "Thanks Poika!" he looked at the girl who was about his age, with dark hair and an odd blue strand hanging in her face. He then looked to another female who was there, a much older woman with long brown hair and a kind face, "Did I do good mom?" he asked, keeping his goofy grin._

_The woman nodded and smiled proudly. "Very good dear." she patted him on the head, ruffling his already messy brown hair._

_"How'd he learn to play like that Lily?" one of the patrons asked staring in amazement at the two._

_The woman, Lily Macleod, shrugged and laughed softly. "I really don't know, but whenever that boy gets in front of a piano, genius comes out," she looked back to her son, Duncan, "You have an innocence about you, hold onto that as long as you can my son," she patted him on the head, earning a blush from the boy and a giggle from Poika._

_"Aw mom...,"_

_The mood quickly changed however when they got home, as soon as Lily opened the door, she and Duncan could see something bad was going on._

_"Oh god, he's been drinking again...,"_

_Lily gave a small gasp as she heard a crash, rushing into the kitchen and finding a tall man with messy black hair, who looked a lot like an older version of Duncan except for his hair color, staggering around, broken plates as his feet._

_"Where were you...?" the man slurred and glared at Lily, his face red from drunkenness._

_"Duncan, go to you room, hurry." Lily whispered and watched the child unhitch himself from her leg and run off, still hiding behind a wall to listen to what was going on. "We were at the tavern...,"_

_"Shut up...," The man coughed and staggered toward her in a drunken confusion. "I know where you were...you were out with someone else, you whore!"_

_"Please, calm down, you're not making any sense dear," Lily looked down, all to familiar with her husband's drunken accusations._

_"Shut up!" he gave her a hard slap across the face, causing her to fall to her knees with a bruise, "Don't order me around!"_

_Duncan stayed where he was, wincing at the sound of his father's hand hitting his mother's cheek. He had heard similar fights before, but he seemed even more angry and drunk this time._

_"Please...stop this!" Lily cried as she stood up again, trying to reach out to her husband only to get slapped away again. This time he delivered a hard punch to his wife, sending her sliding across the floor again._

_The man hiccuped and walked over to his wife, picking her up a bit by her hair and kicking her while she was down._

_"Shut up! Don't tell me what to do!"_

_Duncan heard the sounds of the impacts and his mother's whimpering, he couldn't stand this anymore, he clenched his fists, tears streaming down his face and ran out to where his parents were, grabbing on to his father's leg to stop the next kick, "Please stop! You have no right to do this!" he held to the leg tightly, his tears falling heavily down his father's ankle._

_"You too? Get out of here!" he shook his leg hard and sent Duncan flying into a wall, earning a yelp as the child coughed up a small amount of blood. His father approached him in a drunken rage, staggering back and forth, wiping his mouth with his sleeve as he prepared to attack his son again._

_Duncan anticipated the pain again, but instead felt what seemed like a blanket come over him and a much smaller impact. He looked up to find his mother was shielding him with her body while his father kicked away at them, blood flowing down her face and over her eye._

_"Please don't... not him...he didn't do anything...,"_

_"You just keep getting in my way, don't you?" The man continued kicking and scoffed, staggering away and throwing something at them before slamming the door._

_Duncan felt his mother's body slide off his as she fell unconscious, laying on her back. He looked down to see that her loose shirt was torn, revealing her belly, which was protruding out slightly. Even the child knew what this meant. She was trying to hide it , but it was the truth._

_She was pregnant with the baby of the man who beat her…_

_And the baby was coming… soon._

_A few days later, Duncan sat in a room in the small Ongaku hospital, his mother had gone into labor not too long ago and the baby was coming soon. He hadn't had much time to get used to the idea, and what was worse was no one on the island had seen his father since the last confrontation with him._

_The doctor came out with a small bundle in his arms, his head hung for some reason. He handed the baby to Duncan, giving a shallow smile. "This is your baby sister...,"_

_Duncan took the child and smirked, playing with her a bit with his finger, "How's mom doing?"_

_The doctor hung his head again and shook it. "The birthing went off without any problems, however she sustained some severe injuries recently, and the force of it was too much for her body, we had to make a decision...she said she wanted the baby to live no matter what,"_

_Duncan's eyes widened as he held his little sister, tears forming in his eyes as he held her close. His father had beaten his mother so much that she didn't have the strength to give birth and stay alive. Their mother was dead, both of them had their lives saved by her recently. He sobbed quietly as he hugged his baby sister tightly, her infant eyes not knowing what had just happened to the woman who gave birth to her._

_"I promise I'll always be there for you, I'll protect you no matter what. It was mom's dying wish...," he cried loudly, cradling the baby in his arms and looking into her  
eyes, "I won't let anything happen to you...Sirena...,"_

_Years passed and Duncan was a young teenager now and Sirena was also growing up quickly. She looked more like her mother every day, but she inherited her father's dark hair. Thanks to some help from the villagers, Duncan was able to raise Sirena into a wonderful young girl, and Duncan himself had changed as well. He was always as kind as he could be to anyone who needed his help and was very protective of his little sister._

_The two were walking through the market picking up some fruit when a stray word, possibly an action of Fate, hit Duncan's ears._

_"Hey, didya hear? Some people spotted old man Macleod back at his old abandoned house." one of the market vendors whispered to another, causing Duncan to drop his basket and look to his sister, who obviously didn't hear the message._

_"Sirena...go to Poika's house and stay there, got it?"_

_"What's wrong big brother?"_

_"Now!"_

_The girl took off as soon as she heard, not used to hearing such force in her brother's voice. _

_Duncan ran through the streets, grabbing a gun and a sword from the market counter as he went. _

_"SorryI'llbringitbacklatethankyou!" He rushed as he ran through the streets. Time to finish this old man! I'm not a little kid anymore, I can fight back now!_

_The man stumbled around the broken down and abandoned house, mumbling incoherently._

_"Where are you woman?" he shouted into the darkness._

_A response came in the form of a gunshot, which zoomed through the air and hit the man in the leg, blowing out his kneecap and sending him crumpling to the ground, holding his bloody appendage._

_"Damn, I always was a bad shot with those things, I was aiming for your balls." Duncan muttered and tossed the gun to the side, pulling out his borrowed sword and holding it to the man's neck._

_"Who the hell are you?" the man shouted._

_"Duncan Jeffery Macleod...Jr." he pressed the cold steel harder to the man's throat, "I am the son of the woman you killed!" he shouted, kicking him in a rage. "Duncan Jeffery Macleod Senior, you will pay for killing my mother!"_

_Duncan's father coughed, blood escaping his lips as he looked up at his avenger son. "So, she's dead huh?" he smirked, not looking the least bit remorseful._

_"You bastard!" he kicked him again, "You don't even care, do you? She's dead because of you! Even to her dying day she didn't do anything to deserve that, she never blamed you! What could she have possibly done to you?"_

_Duncan Senior smirked again. "Nothing, she just didn't know her place...,"_

_"Her place? She was a much better person than you, shithead!" Duncan shouted, giving him another kick to the ribs._

_"Why do you care? It's not like it's any big deal...she was just a woman...,"_

_His father's words echoed in his head for a long moment until his face contorted in rage. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!" he proceeded to kick him many times in the ribcage, "SHE WAS A MUCH BETTER PERSON THAN YOU'LL EVER BE, YOU SCUM OF A MAN!" he kicked until he heard the crack of broken ribs._

_The boy pressed his katana up to his father's throat again, panting heavily, "In my opinion women are a lot better than our gender, she would have died for you and all you can say is 'she's just a woman'?"_

_His father was in too much pain to speak at this point, but was still coughing up blood all over the floor._

_"Women deserve much more honor than you ever could, I've always felt that way...," he panted and pressed the sword so hard to his father's skin that it made a small line of blood dribble out from his neck. "DIE YOU SONOFA...!" he swung the katana blade back and prepared to lop of his father's head, when something gleamed and caught the corner of his eye._

_He looked across the room and saw what it was, an old dusty picture frame had caught the sunlight, he could still see the picture clearly. It was of his mother, Lily Macleod, smiling warmly in the house, surrounded by her family._

_"You have an innocence about you, hold onto that as long as you can my son,"_

_Her words came back to him over the years and he sheathed his sword, turning his back on the man who was responsible for his birth._

_"Run, leave, never come back, and thank my mother for this extension of your pathetic life. Her kind heart would have even spared your miserable existence. However, from this day forward, I leave you behind Duncan Macleod, I won't bear your filthy name any longer, I will keep the surname only because it was purified by my mother," he muttered as he walked away, his father taking off behind him and running as far away as he could from certain death._

_**Mother, I hope you can rest now, wherever you are...** he looked up to the sky, I** know there will come a time where I will have to kill to protect Sirena or someone else precious to me, but for now I have preserved my innocence.**_

_From then on, he no longer went by his father's name, going by DJ Macleod instead, only taking the first two letters of his first and middle names. He had also heard his father hadn't made it far off the island before some of his old debt collectors caught up with him and finished the job he started. He protected Sirena and continued to be a chivalrous hero of the island, never missing a chance to help out anyone, especially a female. He wished to do everything he could to help the gender he adored so much, and so he didn't care what humiliation or harm came to him in the way. He would protect the people that he loved… no matter what!_

-End Flashback-

Sarutobi's ghost watched as DJ staggered to his feet, still gripping the handle of _Raikiri_.

_The boy's will to live is strong...but it's not the only thing within him that's strong._

"I swore...," DJ panted as blood soaked his front again, "I swore that I would protect those closest to me! I vowed to become stronger so I can do just that!" he lifted a finger and pointed to the scar over his eye, "A great swordsman gave me this as a reminder of that vow. I do not care if I have to give up a limb, or even half of my life...," he gripped _Raikiri_'s handle tighter and to his surprise, it was much easier to lift now, "I _WILL_ PROTECT THEM!"

Sarutobi blinked, _The sword's not weighing him down anymore! Could this mean that-? Is it possible, that...after so long...?_

"For an army, they're pretty weak, aren't they, Uncle Haschel?"

The elderly man nodded as their soldiers dragged either dead or unconscious Freedom Fighters away, "Indeed, Ayane. They call themselves warriors, but they aren't even able to hold their own against a few of our men,"

The two Wakandas looked around at the cavern that was the Freedom Fighter's base. The makeshift buildings were torn down or burning to the cave floor. Numerous forms of the Freedom Fighters, their friends and their family lay all around while those still standing fought against their enemies. Two of the people fighting were Azu and Chizuru.

Ayane and Haschel watched as the two pirates put down another group of soldiers with relative ease. These two seemed much stronger than most of the people they had put down already, even the strongest soldiers they had with them fell to their strength.

"Uncle, they're not like the others,"

"No, Ayane, they are not," Haschel smiled and walked up to the two pirates, "You two! You're the pirates that Murai captured earlier, but had escaped, right?"

Azu turned to him and nodded, "That's right old man...," he looked at Ayane, "Hello there, baby...,"

Chizuru slapped him upside the head, "Not now,"

"Ow...," Azu rubbed the back of his head, "Geez, Chiz,"

Ayane giggled and pulled out her jutte, "For pirates, you're pretty strong, which is surprising,"

"Just because we're pirates doesn't mean we're not strong," Azu snapped lightly, cracking his knuckles.

Chizuru nodded and twirled her blades around, "That's right. We've seen things and fought people that are stronger than you could imagine,"

"Is that so?" Haschel punched his metal gloves together, sending sparks outward, "Let's see how strong you are, then,"

In his home, Zev Wakanda gazed out, looking at the fierce storm that was just beginning. Lightning streaked across the sky and thunder boomed like a collection of cannons going off. It was not a normal storm, this much Zev knew. He picked up his glass and looked out at his family's island.

He couldn't help but grin as he raised the glass to his lips, rain droplets hitting his window, "We're all in for one wild night,"

**Kilnorc: Man -rubs eyes- this one was pretty tough. I'm sure you all have questions about the samurai spirit and the rokubi, but I'll explain that later on. Anyhoo, hope you understand DJ better now, given his flashback and everything. Now, time for the fights!**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Chizuru: A ninja, huh? Never went up against one of those before...**

**Ayane: You never will again once I'm done with you!**

**Azu: Geez! For an old guy, you pack a punch...**

**Haschel: I may be old, but my punches are far stronger than any normal man's. **

**Mind Crush: Power of Thought**

**Ayane: What _are_ you?**


	23. Mind Crush: Power of Thought

**Mind Crush: Power of Thought**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**Kilnorc: Before I start this off, I would like to say...WOOHOO! 200 reviews! I've failed to celebrate big review breaks in past fics, so here's this! Big thanks to all reviewers, and big thanks to deathshark for making her review the 200th review! DS, this chapter's dedicated to ya!**

The soldiers that Ayane and Haschel brought with them ceased their capture and clean-up duties and made plenty of room for the four people. Haschel pounded his metal gloves together, creating more and more sparks while Ayane spun her jutte around.

Chizuru slowly circled the female, her daggers gripped firmly in her hands, "So, judging from your outfit," she looked at Ayane's bodysuit, "...you're a type of martial artist?"

The young woman nodded, "I'm a student of ninjutsu! My uncle, Haschel," she pointed her jutte at the old man nearby, "...is my master. He teaches certain people the art of ninjitsu to become strong enough to defend this island,"

"A ninja huh?" Chizuru clicked her tongue, "Never went up against one of those before...,"

"Is that so?" Ayane smirked, "Well then, enjoy this encounter, pirate, because you never will again once I'm done with you!"

"Bring it, bitch,"

(Break)

As Chizuru and Ayane charged at one another, Azu's fight with Haschel had already begun. The shipwright flew a good ten feet after receiving a hard punch from the old man. With a grunt, he hit and slid across the floor, his stomach sizzling as a large burn mark appeared on his flesh.

The drunken boxer came to a stop and quickly patted his stomach, wincing, "Geez! For an old guy, you a punch!" he flipped over onto his feet and looked at Haschel, "What the hell is with those gloves, old man?"

Haschel withdrew the smoking fist he was holding out and cracked his neck, "I may be old, but my punches are far stronger than any normal man's," he coughed a little and patted his chest, "My body may be growing older, but I have the vitality of a young man. My mastery of ninjutsu is greater than any other martial artist's power!"

Azu's eyebrow twitched, "You know, I seem to have the bad luck of coming across people who badmouth my Drunken Boxing," he cracked his knuckles and held up his fists, "Masters of Drunken Boxing and Ninjutsu...let's see who wins!"

(Break)

"Tell me something, ninja girl," Chizuru asked as she dodged a jutte thrust from Ayane, "Does it take many years of training to become a ninja, or does it happen overnight?"

Ayane growled and threw a kick that Chizuru easily caught with both hands.

"Ninjutsu is an art that takes years to master! Even though every Wakanda member practices some form of it, no one in our clan except me and Master Haschel has mastered the art,"

"Oh, you must be _so_ proud," Chizuru taunted, grinning, "You're a big girl, aren't you?"

"Bitch, don't talk down to me like a child!" Ayane freed her leg and backflipped away from the pirate, "You'll regret it mocking us ninjas!"

Chizuru watched as the young woman reached behind her, _What's all this now?_ she concentrated a bit on her opponent's mind and chuckled to herself, "So, that's it,"

"Eat shurikens!" Ayane pulled her arm out and flicked her wrist hard. Chizuru stayed still as a handful of razor-sharp discs came flying at her. Calmly, Chizuru brought up her two largest knives and easily deflected each shuriken, leaving herself untouched.

Ayane was amazed that Chizuru had saved herself from her attack. Not only that, but as groans reached the girl's ears, Ayane turned to see a good number of her soldiers fall to the ground, each other their throats slashed.

"Nice little tool," Chizuru complimented, "Though, to use shurikens, you'll have to master _shurikenjutsu_," she lowered her knives, "Maybe once you have done that, little girl, then maybe...just maybe, you can take me on,"

"Bite your tongue!" Ayane snapped at her, "I'm a _true_ ninja! I have mastered every single one of the eighteen disciplines of ninjutsu!"

"And I've already eluded one of them and your skills with a jutte," Chizuru shook her head, "Man, I was hoping my first fight against a ninja would be something a little more,"

"You want more? Fine, so be it!" Ayane reached for a pouch attached to the back of her hip, "_Gotonpo: Katon no Jutsu!_" **(1)**

The young ninja master whipped something out from behind her and threw it to the ground. Instantly, a dark cloud of smoke erupted from the earth and enveloped the fighting area of the two opponents.

_A smokescreen..._ Chizuru began coughing and covered her mouth and nose, _I remember Usopp's tricks when we traveled with the Straw Hats._ _This isn't good...the smoke is distracting me and while I'm trying to regain my senses, she can elude my thought probing...shit!_

"See if you can dodge _this_!"

Coughing, Chizuru looked around the smoke-filled area, _Where is-urgh!_

The navigator jerked as four different parts of her body was suddenly struck with pain. Her legs gave out from under her and she fell to her knees while she dropped her knives, her arms nearly limp as a corpse.

Wincing, Chizuru looked down to see four large, dagger-like blades embedded in her flesh. two above her knees and two just below her elbows. The blades didn't look like shurikens, but she knew that they were capable of being thrown...especially since she was just nailed by all four of them.

"Aw, you didn't manage to deflect my kunai?" Ayane's voice mocking voice taunted from the smoke around her, "Too bad, I wanted to see how you'd fair against those since you made quick use of my shuriken,"

Chizuru grit her teeth and looked around, "Why don't you come out of the shadows and let me kick your ass?" she challenged.

"Chiz! You alright?" Azu's voice called from the other side of the smoke.

"I'll be fine, Azu!" Chizuru shouted back, "Just let me worry about her, I got this under control!" she assured him just before feeling a large piece of cold steel across her throat.

Ayane leaned forward, her jutte pressed against Chizuru's neck, "Under control? Pirate, ever since this fight started, you've had absolutely no control whatsoever!" she grabbed Chizuru's hair and yanked her head back hard, making her look up, "No chance...,"

"No chance...," Chizuru closed her eyes and smiled slightly, despite her coughing acting up again, "There is always a chance in a battle,"

"Do you really believe that?" Ayane asked, grabbing both ends of her jutte, "Do you really believe that, even though I can snap your neck very easily right now in this position, that you have a chance to beat me?"

The smile grew.

"Yes,"

_I didn't want to do this...I would've loved to feed you to my new daggers, but since you've made them useless to me, I have no choice but to resort to this tactic. Ninja girl...you will realize that this was a grave mistake!_ Chizuru closed her eyes, "You're screwed...,"

"Hm?"

_Fly away..._

Ayane suddenly found herself being thrown into the air, her hold on Chizuru's neck no longer a threat! Acting quickly, she landed on her feet and slid a couple of feet before coming to a stop, looking at Chizuru, then from side to side.

"What the hell was that?" the young ninja demanded, climbing to her feet as she scanned the smoky area, "You have backup besides that bastard whose fighting Uncle Haschel, don't you!"

Chizuru lowered her head, eyes still closed, "No, I do not. It's just you and me fighting,"

"Liar!" Ayane snapped, I know she's lying! _Someone must've sneaked up on me while I had her at my mercy. Whoever did that has some decent skill in the stealthy arts. There's no other explanation for it!_

A low grunt and the sound of metal clattering to the floor made Ayane turn to see Chizuru was still sitting on her knees, but her kunai were no longer in any of her limbs! The four throwing weapons were laying on the cave floor, covered in pirate blood.

_Dammit! Her friend freed her from my attack..._ she grinned, _But it's not like that'll do any good. She can't move very well, even with those out of her body, so she's not much use in a fight._

_She calls herself a ninja, but she's distracted too easily. This works well in my favor..._ Chizuru glanced to the side of the smoke, where the soldiers were a short time before, _I think it's time I even the odds a little bit and to have some fun with her...hehehe._

Ayane stared out at the smoke, trying to find the "other friend" who was helping Chizuru in this supposed one-on-one fight.

"It won't matter if you hide out there," she called out, "She'll still die by my hand and you along with her! Staying hidden will only prolong the inevitable, so why don't you just make it easier on yourself and come out, you coward!"

"Come and get me," a low voice growled from the veil just before a dark figure moved just beyond her sight.

"Found you!" Ayane pulled out another kunai from her belt and threw it right at the dark figure. The sound of her knife making contact followed by a pained yelp, then the sound of something hitting the floor reached her ears, making her smile.

"Bulls-eye!"

But the dark figure was seen again before her, hidden by the smoke, "Hehehe...you missed,"

Ayane growled and took three more kunai, "I never miss!"

Chizuru watched as Ayane threw every kunai and spare shuriken she had hidden on her body at something in the smoke. The navigator couldn't help but smile at the angry ninja, _This is too easy...well, I think it's time I showed her what she's up against._

Enraged and out of throwing weapons, Ayane stood in the smoke, having completely forgotten about Chizuru. Seething, she scanned the smokescreen for any trace of the figure who taunted and baited her from the other side of the veil. When she couldn't see or hear it again, the ninja smiled, "I win, fool,"

"No, I don't think so,"

The smoke began to finally dissipate, and when it lifted, Ayane's eyes widened and bulged out of her sockets. Before the smokescreen was made, she had seen a fair number of her soldiers go down with slit throats, but when the smoke disappeared, she saw that the rest of her men were dead as well, her shurikens and kunai lodged in their vital spots and skulls.

"W-What?" Ayane stammered, "W-What's going on!"

"You're an idiot, girl,"

Ayane turned to Chizuru, who was still on her knees, "I'd hold your tongue, lest you want me to cut it out!"

Chizuru smirked and shook her head, her eyes hidden by her long red bangs, "You're a fool, ninja girl. There are many types of martial artists in this world, and everyone has their own way of life. Ninjas, for example, are martial artists who are very good at hiding, escaping, assassination and retrieving information that works out to their advantage. But you, on the other hand, have failed to do even the simplest tasks that any beginning ninja could do,"

"What!"

"Tell me, do you know who we even are?"

Ayane growled and stomped over to her, holding her jutte tightly in her hand, "You are pirates, members of the Axe-Head crew and enemies of the World Government! You are Chizuru Ukita, the navigator who uses knives in combat!"

"My, my, my," Chizuru kept her smirk, "You can do a beginner's task. But, tell me, is that all you know of me?"

"What are you talking about?" Ayane shook her head, "Forget this! Die already!" she raised her jutte and brought it down hard, aiming for Chizuru's skull.

"Guess that's a no,"

The jutte suddenly came to a stop, a good five inches from her hair. Surprised, Ayane tried to push it down, but it wouldn't move. She tried bringing it back up, but she couldn't do that either!

"W-What is this?"

"This...," Chizuru slowly raised her hand and grabbed the jutte by the longest prong, "...is the result of your mistake and incompetence,"

Ayane tried again to pull her jutte away, but she failed.

Chizuru lifted her head and looked right at her, a gleam shining in her eyes, "_Psy Battering Ram_,"

Seconds later, Ayane felt a tremendous pressure on her stomach and the next thing she knew, she was flying back into a nearby wall. When she hit the wall, the rock cracked and blood spewed from her mouth.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Chizuru asked, slowly climbing to her feet as Ayane hit the ground, "So does getting hurt with kunai. Have you ever had one, or even four pierce your flesh? If not, lemme show you how it feels,"

The navigator looked at the discarded kunai on the floor, then turned her head to Ayane, who was just getting back up.

_Fly back to your master!_

A high whistling sound echoed off the cave walls and Ayane looked up just in time to see the kunai come at her. She couldn't move in time, they were coming to fast! The blades pierced her body and actually forced her back to the rock wall where the kunai became stuck.

Chizuru slowly walked to the pinned ninja, no longer paying attention to her wounds. Her mind was focused on the young woman ahead of her.

Ayane struggled as blood oozed down the wall. She noticed Chizuru coming at her, and for once, the navigator could actually see fear in her eyes.

"What are you?"

Chizuru tilted her head to the side, "What am I? Why, I'm nothing more than a pirate, a member of the Axe-Heads, like you said. I'm a navigator, and a knife-wielder, nothing more,"

"B-Bullshit!" Ayane snapped, "You're not normal! Did you eat a Devil Fruit, or is this some kind of illusion art from the Grand Line?"

"Devil Fruit or illusion art?" Chizuru repeated, smirking again, "Is that what you think this gift of mine is? I'm a lot like you, Ayane Wakanda, I have a special form of combat besides my knives. You see, while you and many martial artists train only their bodies, I train my mind," she tapped her forehead, "I don't use this often, but when I do, my enemies will know that I am not something to mess with. I use this gift to get information, to know people, and to defend my nakama!"

Ayane only stared at her.

Chizuru looked at her and raised a palm, fingers stretched outward, "Your failure to retrieve proper information and your mistake of underestimating your opponent has led you to this road, young Wakanda...," she slowly clenched her fingers, "_Mind Crush!_"

Ayane suddenly felt a great pressure and pain inside her skull. She screamed and writhed in pain as it got worse and worse with every passing second.

"Please! Stop! Stop it, I beg you!" she pleaded, tears rolling down her face, "Mercy!"

Chizuru frowned, "Mercy? You expect mercy after what you've done to me, as well as a nakama of mine? Ayane, you and your deserve no mercy after committing the crimes on this island and to the countless innocents that stand against you!"

Ayane screamed louder as the pressure in her head increased. She could actually feel her skull start to cave in.

"PLEASE! STOP IT! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

"Stop? Stop what, exactly?"

The pain suddenly ceased and Ayane opened her eyes to see that she was still stuck to the wall, but Chizuru wasn't doing anything to her. The navigator's arms hung at her side.

"W-What...what was that?"

Chizuru turned around, "That is a talent of my power, Ayane Wakanda. I can do many things besides just inflict true pain on you. There is an old saying that goes 'Mind over matter' and it actually works, especially in my field of combat. You are not dying, your brain is not going to ooze out of your nostrils and ears...no," she turned and shot a glare of pure hatred to her, "Be grateful that I've chosen to spare you, young ninja. Normally, I would kill those who harm my nakama, in any sense, but I have taken pity on you because of your family,"

"Pity...?"

"Yes, pity," Chizuru nodded slowly, "For centuries, your family has hated outsiders and when you finally have some contacts, you choose to hurt others in order to retain your honor and fame as mikos and demon slayers. I pity you because you have no idea what it's truly like to have nakama. All you know is in-family marriage, hurting innocents, and faking things to keep your glory,"

Ayane glared at her, "A pirate's lecturing me about glory and hurting innocents? Pirates do the same thing! They hurt people for their own means and glory!"

Chizuru shook her head, "No, that's not true. The people who hurt innocents on the high-seas for treasures and fame are what we call sea-bandits. Pirates are people who sail the world's seas looking for adventure with people they consider their family. I've used enough of my time talking to you,"

"Hey, now wait just a minute!"

"Go to sleep,"

Almost instantly, Ayane's head dropped and she was fast asleep. Chizuru smiled as she walked over the bodies of the soldiers.

_Oh, the many powers of the mind... _she groaned and held her head_ ...and the many drawbacks. Man, I feel like Azu after an all-night drinking binge._

**Kilnorc: Well, that was an interesting chapter. I'm sorry it's blah, but I personally don't have experience with fights that involve ninjas or psychic powers, though with Chizuru, I'll have plenty of practice, lol. Ninjas...probably not so much, because I'll probably have to watch Naruto or something to get a feel for it, and personally, not that big a fan of Naruto. One Piece all da way!  
**

**(1) _Gotonpo: Katon no Jutsu is_, as best to my knowledge, the ninja art of hiding using the fire elements of earth, fire, water, wood and metal. _Katon no Jutsu_ literally means Fire Evasion and that includes things such as smokescreens.**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Azu: One hot chick down, one old geezer to go!**

**Haschel: You should respect your elders, boy.**

**Azu: Gotta keep dodging those damn gloves...they stab, break and burn the body at the same time!**

**Haschel: Witness the power of my taijutsu, the strongest trait of ninjutsu!**

**Fists of Fire and Fury  
**

**Azu: Man, those metal punches of yours really take me back...**


	24. Fists of Fire and Fury

**Fist of Fire and Fury  
**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

* * *

_Man, this guy seriously has some energy in him! Maybe he wasn't lying when he said he has the vitality of a young man despite the body of an old fart..._

Azu held his stomach, which had just suffered another blow from Haschel's metal gloves, and looked at the old man as he waited for Azu to make a move.

_The drunken boxer looked at the gloves, Gotta keep dodging those damn gloves..._ he winced a little and looked at a nearby pile of rubble, which used to be a large rock, _...they can stab, break and burn the body at the same time! He just gave light punch to that and it fell apart, smoking!_

"Azu,"

The shipwright snapped out of his thoughts and turned his head to see Chizuru standing on the sidelines, sporting some deep cuts.

She jerked a thumb to the dead soldiers and the sleeping, pinned ninja on the wall off to the side, "I'm done with mine, so finish up, okay?"

Azu looked at the sleeping girl, grinned, then turned back to Haschel, "One hot chick down, one old geezer to go!"

Haschel frowned, not even looking at his sleeping niece. He banged his gloves together and took a stance, "You should respect your elders, boy! You have no idea what I'm capable of,"

"You're a martial artist and you've taken one of our nakama and made her a prisoner," Azu wagged a finger, "That's what your capable of, old man, and personally, I can't stand anyone who does bad things with my family. I have a brother out there somewhere who needs some sense beaten into his head and a fox-girl who needs saving," he cracked his neck loudly and fingered his jug, "Let's go, old timer!"

The older martial artist snorted, "Once you and your friend over there are taken care of, all we have to do is deal with the rest of your idiot friends and then our family will be happy,"

"Happy? Do you really think that-," Azu was cut off when Haschel suddenly appeared a few inches in front of him.

"_Paw of Inari,_" Haschel rammed his palm into Azu's chest and sent the drunken boxer flying into a nearby wall.

Azu hit the wall with such force, a decent imprint of himself was made, along with a web of cracks. He coughed a bit of blood out and winced, "Shit...I think he broke a few ribs that time. What the hell kind of move was that?"

Haschel hmphed and withdrew his gloved hand, "It is true that my family and I study ninjitsu, but we always model our fighting techniques after Inari, the Fox Goddess," he held up his hands, "The power of Inari runs through Wakanda blood, it's what gives us strength!"

"Gives you strength?" Azu panted, hand over his already bruised chest, "Are you saying that your blood gives you power, and not the training you receive as a martial artist?"

"I'm saying that our blood is strong, and it's only amplified through proper training,"

"Is that so?" Azu grinned and raised his jug, "Well, wait 'til you see what amplifies my power!"

Haschel smirked, "I know what you're planning, and it won't work," he chuckled before disappearing in a blur, only to reappear in front of Azu again, "_Heavenly Fox Claw!_".

Azu grit his teeth hard as Haschel raked his torso with his spiked gloves, giving him deep cuts in his flesh. Distracted by his pain, Azu momentarily loosened his grip on his jug and Haschel took his chance. The old man swiped the jug from him, planted his feet on Azus' already injured front and pushed off.

The shipwright let out a shriek of pain as Haschel backflipped a fair distance away from him, Azu's jug in his grip.

_Shit! Bad enough he breaks a rib or two, he's gotta give me more pain and steal my drink...old man, that was a big mistake...aw shit, here comes the floor!_

Chizuru watched as Azu doubled over and fell out of his imprint hole.

_Azu..._ she shook her head, _Get your mind off the booze and in the fight. Kick that old man's ass!!_

"Now, witness the power of my taijutsu," Haschel took another offensive stance, "The strongest trait of ninjutsu!"

* * *

"Where the hell are those two?"

Murai paced around the dining hall as the rest of the family ate dinner at the long table. Usually, every single meal they had was together, no matter what, but Ayane and Haschel were still busy with their raid on the Freedom Fighter's base.

Lian looked up from her plate, "Brother Murai, come, sit down and eat. Those two can handle themselves just fine. There's only one person there who could give them trouble and he was captured-,"

"But he escaped!"

"He was captured once _before_," Lian finished, annoyed at her brother, "Haschel and Ayane can easily handle them, even without the soldiers aiding them. Sit down and eat!"

Murai opened his mouth to talk, but before a word came out, a palace guard came bursting into the room.

"Lord Zev! Lady Lian!"

Zev glared at the guard, "We're eating!"

"Forgive me, lord and lady, but there's an army of demons attacking!"

"WHAT?!"

* * *

Azu hit the floor, body wracked with pain as Haschel landed on the cave floor behind him without a single wound, Azu's jug still on his person.

_Shit..._ Azu tried to get to his feet but he couldn't push himself up, _...goddamn geezer. What the hell is giving him this power? I don't believe blood can give you strength and I seriously doubt ninjutsu's that much better than my drunken boxing, so what the hell?!_

"Have you had enough boy?"

"Stop...calling...me...boy," Azu growled, blood dripping between his teeth, "...old bastard...,"

"Call me what you like, boy, it doesn't change the fact that my taijutsu has overpowered your Drunken Boxing style," Haschel said coolly as he walked over to Azu, the clay jug swinging back and forth as he walked.

"It hasn't overpowered me," Azu took a deep breath and quickly rolled onto his back, letting out a yelp as he did, "Shit...that hurt. But, like I said, it hasn't overpowered me or my boxing. It just has a slight advantage,"

"You mean this?" Haschel scoffed, tapping the jug, "I know the styles of the world, boy. Some of them can have their power increased by certain times, places, or even objects. I also know that Drunken Boxing can have it's power increased when the fighter who studies it drinks alcohol,"

Azu screamed as Haschel brought his foot down on his stomach, causing more pain for the martial artist.

"_SHIT!_"

"You're fighting style's power hasn't changed and without the effects of your alcohol taking hold of your body," Haschel started pressing his foot down on the younger man's stomach, "With your mind not affected by your drink, you can feel every bit of pain I give you,"

Azu glared up at him as the old man pounded his fists together again, sending sparks down onto his face.

"You know, the only reason you hurt me so bad is because of your gloves," Azu grinned, "That's where your strength comes from, old man, not your ninjutsu or your blood!"

"I dare you to repeat that and see what happens!"

The shipwright's grin stayed, "Man, those metal punches of yours really takes me back...," he laughed, despite additional pain, "I know a guy back home who had metal punches stronger than yours,"

"No one's punches are stronger than mine!" Haschel snapped, lifting his foot off Azu's gut, only to use it to kick him hard across the cave and into a nearby tent.

As the broken poles and burning fabric fell over him, Azu's mind drifted back to his home.

-Flashback-

_"Azu Baba! Get back to work!"_

_"Lemme finish my drink!"_

_Azu ran through the streets of Water 7 as Nick and Paulie ran after him. Wasted and laughing, Azu was able to leap over Paulie's rope tricks and duck from the wooden sword that Nick always carried._

_"Azu, you bastard!" Nick shouted after him, "You can't keep ditching work for the bar! I'm gonna get Blueno to ban you!"_

_"Bullshit, ya little sissy!" Azu shot back before turning around a corner._

**_"Strong Right!"_**

_Nick and Paulie watched as Azu suddenly flew past them, a large hand with a chain attached to it connecting with his face. The two of them skidded to a stop as Azu flew over a canal and landed on a Yagara Bull, startling the poor sea animal._

_"Dammit, Franky, don't kill him!" Nick scolded as the tall, blue-haired man walked into view, pulling his arm back, accompanied by Mozu and Kiwi._

_Paulie gawked at the two girls, "Mozu! Kiwi! Put some clothes on dammit! It's you who corrupts society!"_

_The Square Sisters each pulled down an eyelid and stuck out a tongue at him, "Prude!"_

_"Why you...!"_

_As Paulie argued with them, he looked at Azu, then at Franky, "Thanks anyway,"_

_Franky scoffed, "Didn't do it for you. That drunk loser owes Zambai some money,"_

_"Couldn't he just come and get it himself?"_

_"Nah, he's out doing some business for the Family,"_

_"Ah," Nick turned back to Azu, who was trying to stand back up after the punch, "You know, I've seen the power you put into that, Franky, and I'm surprised he's still up...or alive,"_

_Franky grinned, "I'm especially super this week, but I didn't put too much into that, Nick-hiko. I didn't wanna kill him while he still owed Zambai,"_

_"Nma," Nick tapped his shoulder with his wooden sword and turned back around to Paulie, "When you're done with him, dunk him a few times in the water canals and send him back to work, okay? That bastard's costing Galley-La money,"_

_"Yosh," Franky gave him a thumbs up, "Got it,"_

_-End Flashback-_

"Tell me something...old man...,"

"Hm?" Haschel raised an eyebrow when he saw movement from within the collapsed tent, "You're able to move?"

A loud groan came from the tent.

"Old man...why do you use that taijutsu thing? From what is known about ninjutsu, the eighteen disciplines are equally useful, so why only use taijutsu?"

Haschel looked at the tent for a few moments, then banged his gloves together, creating more sparks yet again.

"Taijutsu is the ninjutsu art of unarmed combat, and using one's body as their weapon. While the other seventeen disciplines are important, I am able to use Taijutsu far better than anything else out of ninjutsu!"

Another groan came again and Azu appeared, rising to his feet, his body looking ravaged.

"Unarmed combat...and you use those?" Azu pointed to the metal gloves Haschel wore, "That's not Taijutsu, that's just martial arts with an enhancement,"

"Enhancement?" Haschel lifted Azu's jug, "If my gloves are an enhancement, does that mean this alcohol of yours is the same?"

"Pfft, yeah, duh," Azu scoffed, "Dude, there's a difference between our styles of fighting,"

"Oh? What is it?"

"The difference of the fighting styles is it's power and chances of success, but those are determined by the people who practice the fighting style in question,"

Haschel blinked a few times, "Eh?"

Azu grinned and looked at him from behind his red dreadlocks, "You may have been faster than me before old man, but...," he trailed off and disappeared from sight.

Surprised, the old man quickly looked around, "Where are you?!"

As if on cue...

"Right up here! _Wasted Windmill_!"

Haschel looked up just in time to see Azu's foot come crashing down on his head. A loud crack echoed off the rock walls as Haschel's head snapped forward. Azu wasn't finished, yet, however. Chizuru watched from the sidelines as the shipwright, while still in mid-air, swung his other leg downward and landed another hard kick.

The old man crumpled to the cave floor, blood dribbling down the side of his head.

Azu landed behind him, now holding onto his reclaimed jug.

_How the hell was he able to do that?!_ Haschel wondered, his head pounding, _He vanished and managed to land two hard kicks to my head...with those wounds, he shouldn't have been able to move like that...or even get up!_

"I'm faster than you, old man, and it's not because of my youth," Azu murmured as he brushed a few dreadlocks out of his eyes, "Long ago, my sensei told me something that I know is true: 'Those who do evil deeds to innocents can never gain the speed and power of those who protect those innocents from evil ones'...," Azu grinned and cracked his knuckles, "Simply put, 'evil moves fast, but good moves faster'!"

Haschel growled and pushed himself off the ground, "I'm not evil, though, boy, so that philosophy is a lie,"

"You're not evil?" Azu pulled the cork from his jug and raised it to his lips, "You kidnap my nakama, hold her against her will, you put down my fighting style...then you did the most evil thing I can imagine,"

"Oh, and what's _that_?"

Azu chuckled and took a long drink from his jug, "You stole my precious drink,"

Chizuru slapped herself in the face, _Azu, you really need to sort out what's more important here..._

"You snot-nosed brat...," Haschel glared and ran at him, "I'll show you evil!"

_Here he comes..._ Azu ducked under an oncoming punch from the old man and with his opponent thrown off by his speed, Azu quickly moved onto his hands and rammed both his feet into Haschel's jaw.

The old man's head snapped back, blood spurting out from his lips.

"Not done, old man!" Azu stretched a leg outward, hooked a foot around Haschel's neck and with much of his strength behind the foot, Azu pulled the martial artist downward to meet his other foot, which Azu shot upward, connecting his heel with Haschel's jaw. With his foot still around Haschel's neck, Azu continued this same move a few more times before finally pulling both his feet away.

Haschel stood in front of him, blood flowing from nose and mouth, a few of his teeth laying on the floor around him.

_Who...who is this...**child**?!_

"I think it's time I finish up so we can go help the kit," Azu's legs stretched out and grabbed Haschel's neck with both feet this time, "Here's the Finishing Move that shatters the senses!!"

Chizuru looked at him for a few moments, then shook her head, smiling, _Azu, you're disgusting..._

"Feel the great power of the body of one who trained in Drunken Boxing! I've been holding this great pressure within me for awhile now and it's time I unleashed it!"

Azu pulled his legs in, forcing Haschel to meet to his rear, "_Eight God Gas Festival!_"

A loud sound, one that sounded like when a balloon flies around the room as it loses it's air, was heard as a nearly invisible cloud erupted from the seat of Azu's pants. As soon as it did, Haschel began to gag and cough like crazy, clawing at Azu's legs to release him, but despite the deep scratches he received, Azu didn't let go.

After a few moments of struggling, Haschel's head dropped and his arms fell limp, the metal gloves scraping the rock floor of the cave. Azu wiggled him around with his legs a few times before releasing his hold on the old man and pushing him away with his feet.

With Haschel out for sure, Azu flipped back onto his feet and stumbled around before coming to a stop, scratching his butt.

"Do ya think I killed him?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if you did,"

* * *

**Kilnorc: Hehehe...I had fun with this one. I studied a bit of Taijutsu from Naruto vids, and since I'm not a big fan like many people, I just winged it. The reason why I had Azu finish the fight like that was because he's usually the comic relief of the crew and he needed at least ONE funny finisher.**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Axe: Oh, some of them have seastone on their weapons, hm?**

**Herman: I just hope they don't go back on their promise and slaughter innocents...**

**Axe: I'll handle these guys, you go in and do some damage!**

**Herman: She's not like these soldiers...she's way stronger!**

**Lian, Miko of the Iron Fans**

**Lian: You're nothing but freaks, all of you!**


	25. Lian, Miko of the Iron Fans

**Lian, Miko of the Iron Fans**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

* * *

"What's our status on the army attacking our home?" Zev asked as he, Murai, and Lian walked alongside each other, following the guard who interrupted their meal as Dusty followed behind them.

"We're holding their forces back, but it's proven difficult. Even though they're injured, the demons are putting up a good fight," the guard reported, "They're armed to the teeth and apparently they're being led by a lobster demon and a man with a giant axe,"

Dusty stopped in her tracks, "No way...,"

Lian, Murai and Zev looked back at her for a few moments before looking back at each other, sharing identical smiles.

"Dustine, I think it's time you prove your loyalty to the family...for the sake of your mother,"

The fox-girl lowered her head and bit her lip, _Man...why'd you guys do this? Bad enough DJ-kun got hurt, why couldn't you just leave?_

* * *

"Thirteen! Fourteen! Fifteen! Yeah, I'm _loving_ this!"

Herman shook his head as Axe took out another large group of soldiers with a sweeping kick, _No matter what, he loves fighting..._

"Gah! Dammit!"

The Fishman turned to see Axe was stumbling back into the Fishman army ranks, a large cut on his chest.

"Captain!"

Axe looked down at his wound and grinned, "Oh, so some of them have seastone on their weapons, hm? Hehehe...this'll be fun!"

Herman rolled his eyes and ducked just in time to dodge a bisento, "Dammit...," he slugged the human hard in the face, sending him flying into another group of comrades, "They just keep coming!"

"Good! More to kill," a Fishman nearby roared, "Come and get it, humans! Come and see the strength of those you imprisoned!"

"Hey!" Herman grabbed the Fishman's arm and forced him around, "This isn't a frenzy for us, pal, this is just a fight to get back at those bastards! Don't go nuts!"

The Fishman snarled and wrenched his arm away from Herman, "Don't tell me what I can and can't do, human-lover! This is my fight as well as yours and I'll kill anyone who gets in my way!"

With that, the Fishman turned and began plowing through the group of soldiers, leaving Herman to only stare at the rage.

"I just hope these guys don't go back on their promise," Herman looked around at the angry Fishpeople and Merfolk around him, "...and slaughter innocents...," he shook his head, "If they do that, I'll put a stop to it myself,"

"We're in!" a Mermaid shouted, holding up a sword, "We've breached!"

The crowd of attackers cheered and cut down the rest of the armed forces that stood in their way before storming into the Wakanda palace. Axe followed suit, grinning madly as he cracked his knuckles yet again.

When they reached the first large room of the palace, they were met by three people who stood in the center of the room. The three of them were very different from the other guards they saw outside. Each of these were dressed in identical black armor and carried gleaming katanas.

"Intruders, we are the elite guards of the Wakanda Clan, trained personally by Masters Murai and Haschel. Why are you here?!"

"Feh," the Fishman from before, the one who snapped at Herman, stepped forward, "We're here to take your heads, humans!"

The three swordsmen pushed off the ground and sped past the entire group, darting from side to side as they did before coming to a stop behind them.

"Delta Strike!"

Axe turned and was immediately sprayed by gushing fountains of blood as the heads of just about every single ally they had fell to the ground. Herman, who had luckily been saved by his shell and his quick-thinking, stared in horror at what had just happened. Even the merfolk had been killed!

"You bastards!"

The three warriors turned to Herman and Axe, looking mildly surprised.

"You two are the only one's still standing," one of them observed.

The second one nodded, "Interesting,"

"Indeed," the third one agreed.

Axe smirked and pulled off his weapon from his back, "Herman, get out of here, it's going to get messy,"

"W-What?!" Herman turned and gawked at him, "Captain, they killed everyone but us-,"

"Yeah, so get out of here before they have another chance at you. I know you're strong Herman, and you have a good shell, but sooner or later, they could cut through it, so get out of here!"

"But-,"

Axe glared at him, "I'll handle these guys, go in and do some major damage to this place!"

Herman gulped, glanced at the three swordsmen, then nodded and started running deeper into the palace.

"Now," Axe began to spin his diamond weapon around, "Who wants first blood?!"

* * *

Zev and Murai walked down the empty hall of their palace home, Murai practically dragging Dusty along with them.

"They've got inside, brother,"

"It doesn't matter, Murai. Before this night is over, this little escapade will be over once and for all," Zev looked at the fox-girl, "Tonight, Dustine, you will see the fall of the enemies of the Wakanda clan and tomorrow, you will truly have a fresh start as a member of our family!"

Murai chuckled and yanked on Dusty's arm, making her yelp, "I can't wait to have a little fun, brother. My zanbato's crying out for blood of the enemy!"

"Be patient, brother," Zev shook his head, "Ladies first,"

* * *

Herman pushed a set of large doors open to find himself in a beautifully decorated room with ornate furniture and a large chandelier above him. Sitting in a large throne-like chair across from him, sipping a glass of wine, was a beautiful woman with long red hair.

The Fishman looked at her and frowned.

Lian set her drink down on the nearby table and crossed her legs, looking at the him.

"Good evening, my large friend," she greeted in a sickeningly sweet voice as a thunderclap boomed just outside the window, followed by a flash of lightning, "I am Lian Wakanda, the Lady of this island and this palace. Who are you?"

"Friends call me Herman," the lobsterman replied quickly, "I'm one of those Fishmen you and your friends knocked out and stuffed into a tank for some kind of freaky experiment!"

"Oh, so you're one of _those_," Lian smiled, "How was it?"

"The hell do you think?" Herman snapped, _This woman...she's different from these soldiers...she's **way** stronger, I can feel it from here!_

"So," Lian folded her hands together, "Are you here for revenge against what we've done to your kin, or to your nakama?"

Herman blinked, "Nakama...?"

"Oh, so you don't know? That stupid love-struck swordsman was killed by my husband and not to mention the fox-girl...,"

"DJ...was killed...?" Herman repeated slowly, clenching a fist, "What have you done with Dusty?!"

"_Dustine_," Lian corrected him, "That is her name now. She is a member of our family, a blood relative whose blood has been tainted by an outsider, but we've taken her in. She's one of us, and once this little attack against us is over, she will stay here until the day she dies, carrying on our bloodline by bearing as much heirs as her body could,"

Herman glared at her, "What?!"

"Oh, don't worry, she doesn't want to, but she's doing what she has to do in order to keep her mother alive,"

That was it.

Herman cracked his knuckles, I don't know what the story is behind Dusty's connection with this group of psychos, and frankly, I don't care. All I know is that this is bringing up a bad memory and I will not stand around for Dusty to suffer a fate similar to Nami.

"What is this, then?" Lian raised an eyebrow, "You are looking like you want to fight me for some reason,"

"You can say that,"

"Well, then, I'll humor you," Lian rose from her seat and pulled out two large fans from behind her back, "I should warn you, I'm not as harmless as I look,"

"You don't have to tell me that, I can feel it,"

"Oh, really? Well, see if you can feel this!" she spread her fans out, "_Ba-ru-wan-shi-leo-hontara!_"

She swung her fans outward and Herman was greatly surprised to see small arcs of purple light shoot forth from the fans. He was so taken back, he didn't move out of the way in time and the arcs hit him dead on.

Though small, the arcs were powerful enough to send the Fishman sliding back at least five feet as small cuts appeared on his body.

_Dammit, what the hell was that!?_ Herman's hands went to his wounds, _That was like some of Devon's and DJ's techniques, but they were also different..._

"Surprised? I don't blame you," Lian said casually, lowering her fans, "I am Lian Wakanda of the Wakanda Clan of mikos from ancient times. My blood is holy blood, it's power given to me through my ancestors through the great goddess Inari,"

"Holy...blood?" Herman frowned, "So, that attack just used up some of your miko power, hm?"

"My, my, someone's a fast learner...,"

"I've been traveling around the world for a long time, nothing surprises me," Herman reached up and grabbed his shell, "Does this surprise you?" he asked moments before ripping his shell clean off his back.

Lian's face took on a disgusted expression, "What on earth are you doing?"

Herman split his shell in half and placed each one on one of his arms, "I'm giving myself some of your protection against that weird move you just pulled,"

"Is that so? Well, I think I should tell you that it's not just 'that weird move' I use against my enemies," Lian held up both her fans, "I use these up close as well!"

"You use fans...?" Herman asked slowly, "What the hell can fans do in a fight besides cool someone off?"

With amazing speed, Lian ran past him, "I'll show you...,"

Before Herman could even turn around to face her, his body was torn open and blood spewed from numerous wounds that suddenly appeared.

The Fishman gasped and staggered from the pain as Lian turned back around, both of her fans covered in blood.

"These fans are made of iron, Fish-freak, and they are as sharp as a katana!"

_That explains that..._ Herman's hand shot to his mouth as he coughed blood, _She's strong if she can hold up iron and use it like that, as well as move like she just did. I'm gonna have to be careful here..._

"You should've just stayed in the fishtank. After all, that's where your kind belongs,"

Herman twisted his stalks around and glared at her, "Is that so...?"

"Indeed!" Lian held up her fans again, "Let's see if I can teach you your place without killing you..._Rin-ku-pa-du-wa-qin-machuka_,"

She swung her fans again, but instead of arcs of energy like last time, the two blades created what could only be described as a mini-tornado filled with multiple arcs of glowing miko power.

"Oh _shit_!"

* * *

"Well, that was slightly more entertaining than I thought,"

Axe cracked his neck as the last of so-called elite guards fell to the ground, dead. As he wiped his weapons clean of their blood, Axe heard a loud sound, like an explosion come from somewhere deeper into the palace.

"Herman, just what are you doing, going on a rampage or something?"

* * *

"Seems like Lian's letting loose. It's been sometime since that's happened," Murai observed, spinning his zanbato out of boredom, "Brother, I'm bored!"

"Be patient, Murai," Zev held up a hand, "These are not normal enemies we're dealing with, so you and just maybe myself will have some fun here," he turned to look at Dusty, who was looking very shaken, "Who knows, maybe Dustine will get a shot?"

Murai chuckled as the last group of soldiers of the palace joined them. He glared at them, "It's about damn time! You maggots are slow as hell, what took you so long?!"

"Sorry, Lord Murai!" the soldiers shouted at the same time, "But, we ran into trouble!"

"Trouble? What, you ran into the Fish demons?"

One of the soldiers opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off when a loud clacking sound was heard just outside the doorway.

"Oh shit!"

"Close the door, close the door!"

Murai and Zev watched silently as the soldiers became panicked and scrambled to shut the door to the room.

"What's going on?"

* * *

Lian giggled as Herman fell to the ground, bleeding like a stuck pig. Her twister technique had missed him the first time, but the second time she did it nailed him head on. The lobsterman suffered a lot more damage the second time around, and with fatigue and injuries from a few hours before still lingering, he didn't stand a chance.

The miko waved her fans around, flinging his blood around the finely decorated room, half of which was destroyed thanks to her first twister fan technique. She walked over to find that he wasn't dead yet, but severely wounded and still moving around. With a gleam of malice, she pressed her foot on the back of his neck.

"You and your friends are nothing but fools, coming here. I still can't believe that you actually delivered our brother's daughter to us. You practically just handed her over, and here you are, trying to take back your gift...that's so rude," she began to press harder on Herman's neck, "I was going to see if you'd be a good little fishy and go back into your tank, but since you decided to go against those who actually have a right to lock your kind up," she raised both her fans, "It seems that you're going back into the ocean as chum for the Sea Kings,"

"I don't think so, bitch!"

_BOOM!_

One of Lian's fans was suddenly knocked out of her hand. The female miko watched it clatter to the floor, covered in holes. Growling, she turned to see two women standing off to the side. One of them was easily recognized from the high bounty poster of 75,000,000 Beli, and the other one was another Axe-Head pirate. While the former held no weapon, the latter held a smoking shotgun in her hand.

"Back away from my nakama," Niri snapped, "Unless you wanna taste my boomstick,"

Lian glared at the two of them, "Criminals just seem attracted to my house tonight,"

"Like Axe and meat," Niri cracked, earning a smile from Carmen. She pulled back the hammer on her shotgun again and aimed it at Lian, "Back off from Herman...now,"

The miko looked at the two of them for a short time, then slowly removed her foot from Herman's neck.

"Good, now-,"

"_Shin-po-kai-ro-kyo-mu-wi-chi-Zokyuko!_" Lian swung her fans and unleashed a barrage of rather large arcs of glowing miko energy at the two of them.

Cursing, the two ex-Marines dove to the side to dodge the attack. They hit the floor and watched as the arcs cut through the wall easily, as if it was butter.

Niri looked at Carmen, "Any ideas?"

Carmen gawked at her, "You're asking me? Kid, I was following you!"

The two of them stared at each other as Lian picked up her second fan.

"How about I go get Herman and you take her?" Carmen suggested.

Niri shook her head, "Screw that!"

"Okay, how about _you_ take her and _I_ go get Herman?"

"Now, that works!" Niri said with a nod. It only took her a short moment to realize what she agreed to, but when she did, Carmen was already moving for the downed Fishman.

"Sonofa_bitch_...!" she cursed, "I'm getting as dense and slow as Dusty!"

With that, she rose to her feet and grabbed her father's pistol with her other hand and started firing at Lian.

"_Dun-bai-shi-zhao-ko-ro-ko-Jengmero_,"

Niri watched as Lian's fans encircled her, and as they did, something that looked like a glowing barrier appeared around her. Each of the ex-Marine's bullets hit the barrier and either fell to the floor or ricocheted off into a wall or a piece of furniture.

"Oh come on!"

Lian's fans slowed down and she plucked them out of the air, "No matter what you try, no matter how you try to attack, I will always counter-attack and defend. There is no way to beat me, girl. You should learn to accept that now instead of the hard way like your fishy friend,"

Niri glanced at Herman, who was being looked after by Carmen.

"You know, DJ told me what's going on with Dusty and this island,"

Lian frowned, "What?"

"You heard me," Niri turned to her, "DJ, the kid that your husband stabbed...he's still alive,"

The miko scoffed, "Liar. I watched that boy get pummeled by Zev myself. There's no possible way he could've survived that,"

"Well, he did, and if you don't believe me, then that's your problem," Niri shot back, "He's back for a second round and this time, he will not go down,"

"Ha! Even if he did manage to survive Zev's onslaught, he can't do anything! He tried to beat Zev last time and look what happened! Even if he had a sword with him, he would've died anyway,"

"That's what you think," Niri smiled and tossed her guns to the side, "DJ's very stubborn, like so many other bakas I know in my crew. You can shoot him, you can stab and slice him, you can mock him, you can do anything and he'll just take it. If there's one thing I know, is that as long as there is a single breath in DJ's body, he will never give up," she cracked her knuckles, "As his nakama, we cannot give up either, especially when we fight for one of our own!"

Lian scoffed and shook her head, "Delusions...girl, your friend is dead, and Dustine is here to stay, so why don't you just-,"

Niri's foot connected with Lian's face, cutting the miko off mid-sentence. Lian was stunned that this brat was able to move fast enough to attack her without giving her a chance to defend herself.

"The only with delusions...," Niri shot a deathglare at her, "...is _you_!"

Off to the side, Carmen was watching the two of them as she took care of Herman.

_I know that look in her eyes... _Carmen smiled as a nostalgic feeling came across her, _...she looks just like him. Kick her ass, kid!_

* * *

Axe wandered around the palace, his weapon hanging over his shoulder as his eyes darted from side to side.

"Where the hell is everyone?" he asked no one in particular, "I wanna have some fun...,".

As he whined and walked, Axe noticed something. He came to a halt, backed up, and turned to face it.

"Huh...what do we have here?"

* * *

"Do-,"

_Wham_

"...not-,"

_Wham_

"...screw-,"

_Wham wham_

"...with my nakama!"

Niri landed a hard roundhouse kick, forcing Lian to step back. The miko's face was a mess. What had once been a beautiful piece of work was now a piece of work that looked like it had been through a meatgrinder. Bruises and blood covered Lian's face while numerous cuts were carved into Niri's body, thanks to Lian's fans and her miko spells.

The two women glared at each other, breathing heavily as their blood dripped to the already messed up floor of the palace room.

"You know," Niri spit the blood out of her mouth, "You're good, for an obnoxious bitch. But, I've fought other people stronger than you, from a stronger place than this,"

Lian heaved, glaring daggers at her, "Just because you did all that, you think you're special?!"

Niri shrugged, "No...I already thought I was special," she gave the V sign, "So nya,"

"Compared to me," Lian lifted her iron fans, "Compared to those who share my blood, you're nothing special! You and that Fish over there," she jerked her head to Herman, who was still pretty much out of it, "You're nothing but freaks, all of you!"

Niri just stood there, unphased by the insult.

"Now, let's finish this!" Lian began waving her fans around like nothing before. As she did, the fans created a wind within the room as well as a collection of miko energy.

"Meet my pet," Lian grinned wickedly, "_Go-ro-ka-me-zu-kin-don-ru-Samekato!!_"

Both Niri and Carmen watched as the wind and the miko energy that Lian and her fans created grew to such as size, it almost filled the entire room. Niri covered her eyes as the wind blew her hair around.

_What the hell is this?!_

The energy and the wind merged together, further increasing it's size and after a time, it took a form, one that of a serpentine-shaped dragon. It reminded Niri very much of when Kirsty went all dragon back in Skypeia.

"Everything you've done...everything you hoped to accomplish...it was all pointless! Now, suffer at the power of my dragon!!" Lian pointed to Niri, "Devour her!"

The dragon roared and shot towards the pirate.

_Oh shit..._

* * *

The entire palace shook, startling the soldiers that were with Murai, Dusty and Zev. The zanbato user and his brother looked at each other and sighed.

"It's going to take months just to repair our home after tonight. Lian always did cause a lot of damage with that spell,"

"At least she's done,"

"Yes, at least she's done. Now," Murai paused as the clacking sound got louder, "What the hell is that?!"

* * *

When the dragon attacked, Carmen threw herself over Herman to guard him from any damage. Slowly, the master thief looked up and her jaw dropped when she saw that the entire wall separating the room and the outside was obliterated. Nothing was left, except rubble and debris.

Tired and drained, Lian slowly made her way to the edge of the hole. Nothing was left of the pirate girl who came to help her friend. Chuckling, Lian kicked a few pieces of debris over the edge.

"One fool down, two more to go," she muttered as she turned around.

_BOOM!_

Lian's torso was torn a new one as a close-range shrapnel blast ripped through her. The impact of the blast sent her flying backward, out of the palace, and onto the already body-filled grounds.

Niri lowered her shotgun, blood running her head, her shoulders heaving as she gasped for breath. She limped to the edge of the floor and looked down to see Lian laying still on the ground below, a pool of blood already forming around her.

"You survived _that?!_"

Niri turned to see Carmen staring at her. She grinned and holstered her shotgun, "I got very lucky...saw that thing coming and I saw a very small chance to dodge it. So, for better or for worse, I took the chance,"

Carmen shook her head, "You could've died!"

"Yeah, but hey, that's life. If you don't take a chance, it could make you regret it later,"

As Niri walked over to Herman to see how he was, Carmen stared at her like she had seen a ghost.

_She has your luck, my old friend...are you watching out for her from Heaven or did you give her your luck?_

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Carmen snapped out of her thoughts and realized Niri was looking at her. She shook her head, "Nothing, just still amazed you survived...what about her, though?"

Niri shrugged, "I've seen people come back from worse, she has a chance...I think,"

* * *

"Open that door!"

"But, my lords-,"

"I said open that door! NOW!"

The guards looked at each other, then reluctantly pulled the door open. Murai and Zev looked ahead to the empty hall in front of them. The clacking sound had stopped. Nothing but silence.

Murai laughed, "I can't believe you all got scared because of some stupid noise,"

"But Lord Murai, it wasn't just that! There was this song that-,"

_"Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,  
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,  
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,  
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,  
_

_Going to deliver Bink's Sake!  
Following the sea breeze!  
Riding on the waves!  
Far across the salty deeps!  
The merry evening sun!  
Painting circles in the sky!  
as the Birds Sing  
_

_Farewell to the harbour,  
To my old hometown  
Lets all sing out with a Don!  
As the ship sail  
Waves of gold and silver  
dissolve to salty spray  
As we all set sail to  
The ends of the sea  
_

_Going to deliver Bink's Sake!  
We are pirates  
Sailing through the Seas  
The waves are our pillows  
The ship our roost  
Flying the proud Skull  
On our flags and our sails  
_

_Now comes a storm  
Through the far-off sky  
Now the waves are dancing  
Beat upon the drums  
If you loose your nerve  
This breath could be your last  
But if you hold on,  
The morning sun will rise...,"_

"_That's_ the song!" one of the guards shouted as the haunting song stopped, ceasing it's echoes in the hall, "We dunno where it's coming from! It must be a spirit!"

Dusty stared at the door and the hallway, her hands shaking.

_DJ-kun...?_

The song started again, only this time, it sounded much closer.

_"Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,  
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,  
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,  
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,  
_

_Going to deliver Bink's Sake!  
Today, tomorrow,  
our dreams through the night!  
Waving our goodbyes,  
we'll never meet again!  
But don't look down;  
For at night the moon will rise  
_

_Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,  
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,  
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,  
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,  
_

_Going to deliver Bink's Sake!  
Let's all sing it with a Don  
A song of the waves  
Doesn't matter who you are,  
Someday you'll just be bones  
Never-Ending, Ever-wandering,  
Our funny Traveling tale!  
_

_Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,  
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,  
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,  
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,"_

Zev growled and looked over his shoulder, "How are you still alive?!"

Dusty turned and her eyes went as wide as they could possibly go.

"I told you bastards...Dusty-chan will _never_ be yours,"

Murai slowly turned around and picked up his zanbato, "Little bastard,"

"DJ-kun," Dusty's eyes began to water a bit, "Baka! Why'd you come back?!"

"Because, Dusty-chan, I love you with all my heart and we..._I_ am not leaving without you!"

* * *

**Kilnorc: Okay, the chapter is done! Now, I would like to say a few things before the preview. First off, Lian's spells? They were made and given to me by a friend so I have no clue what they mean, so don't ask! Secondly, the fight was iffy because I honestly wasn't sure how long either Niri or Herman could go against her and her miko ability so I did what I could. Hope ya'll liked the last shotgun blast, hehe. Don't worry, the last fights are better, trust me.**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Zev: You look ridiculous...**

**DJ: Hey, these were a gift, so shut up!**

**Murai: That sword...it _can't_ be _Raikiri_?! How did you-?  
**

**Dusty: DJ-kun, you can't keep doing this! Please, just leave while you can!**

**Dusty's Samurai**

**DJ: Let me fight for you, Dusty-chan...  
**


	26. Dusty's Samurai

**Dusty's Samurai  
**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

* * *

Dusty, Zev, Murai, and the rest of their guards looked at DJ, who was sitting lazily on a large chair on the other side of the room. The musician looked different from the last time he was in the palace. His wounds had healed up nicely, and he was dressed in different clothing. He wore the robes of a warrior from ancient times, a samurai to be exact. He wore a white kimono robe, complete with a katana at the hip, a small cape-like attachment around his arms and wooden sandals strapped to his feet.

Zev looked him over, "You look ridiculous...,"

A vein appeared on DJ's forehead, "Hey, these were a gift," he pointed to his outfit, "So shut up!"

The leader of the Wakanda clan frowned, "I don't know how you're still alive, but you won't be much longer," he murmured, snapping his fingers, signaling his men to attack, "Take care of the intruder,"

Every single one of the guards looked at Zev, then DJ, then at each other.

"Screw that! We're outta here!"

DJ couldn't but smile as the group of men stampeded out of the room, desperate to get out of the as soon as possible.

"Guess that just leaves us,"

Zev's frown deepened, "Indeed," he walked over and took Dusty by the arm, "Murai...,"

"I'm on it, brother!" Murai ran at DJ, spinning his zanbato as he ran, "This time I'll make sure you stay dead!"

DJ smirked.

Murai's zanbato slashed through DJ's body, but the after image quickly vanished. The larger man growled, "Speedy bastard,"

The sound of a sword coming out of it's sheath alerted him, but before he even had a chance to move, Murai felt the cold edge of a katana pressed against his flesh. He looked to the side to see DJ standing there, a very serious look on his face.

"Missed,"

Murai growled again and took notice of the sword. After studying it for a few moments, his eyes went wide, "That sword...it _can't_ be _Raikiri!_"

Zev's eye twitched slighty, "_Raikiri_...?!"

"How...," Murai looked up at DJ, "How did you-?"

"How did I find the sword, or how did I prove my worth to it?" DJ asked, the grin returning, "To the first question, I and some of our nakama," he glanced at Dusty briefly, "Found it with some help. To the second question...well, that's not really any of your business,"

"_Raikiri?_" Dusty blinked, "What the...?"

Zev scowled, "It's a legendary blade that everyone on this island has been searching for for a long time. It belonged to a samurai who cut down a monster, as well as lightning itself. While it's a magnificent and powerful blade, it has been classified as one of the _O Wazamono_. How this...boy...managed to not only find it, but is able to wield it...," he trailed off, shaking his head.

"It doesn't matter if he found it and can hold it," Murai slowly backed away from DJ's blade, "What matters is if he can use it,"

DJ looked at him as the large man gripped his zanbato with both hands, "I can use it,"

"Prove it!"

"Alright," DJ sheathed his sword and kicked off his wooden sandals, "Let's go,"

Dusty looked at the two swordsmen, DJ-kun...this is stupid! You're really gonna get killed this time!

Murai chuckled, "You sheathe your weapon right before a fight? You should've just kept it out!"

"I don't take fighting tips from someone who hurts a lady," DJ said quietly, staring at Murai, "Especially someone as sweet and beautiful as Dusty-chan. I will never forgive you!"

The zanbato glanced down to see DJ's thumb pushing the blade out of it's sheath and jumped away quickly.

"_Tsu-ki-yo-henmurato!_"

DJ paused and watched as the room was suddenly occupied by many Murai, each one of them holding a zanbato.

"What the-?!"

Dusty stared, "That's just like my cloning act! DJ-kun! There's only one real Murai!" she shouted.

Zev looked at her, "Rooting for the pirate, Dustine? What would your mother think?"

The fox-girl went quiet, realizing what she had done, "Sorry...,"

DJ glanced at her, _What's wrong with Dusty-chan? I know her, she hates being in this sort of situation, but she's taking this shit without so much as a fight! Something's not right here..._

"Don't look away!"

The swordsman snapped his head back to see every copy of Murai leap at him, their zanbato's aimed right at him.

"_Shinsoku Iai: Phantom Howling!_" **(1)**

DJ sped out of the mass attack and Zev could see that he was now sheathing Raikiri. Seconds later, a shockwave rocked the room, sending Zev, Dusty, and one of the Murai clones to the ground.

A loud ringing filled Dusty's ears and the kitsune winced as she covered them, _What the hell was that?! DJ-kun, what did you do?_

One by one, the clones that weren't affected disappeared, leaving only one Murai, who was still on the floor, in the room with them.

"Clones are much like the original people they copy. Except, they can't always have the same limits," DJ turned to Murai, "I had a hunch that that move would work, but I'm glad it did, because I was able to find you before you could hurt me,"

"DAMN BRAT!" Murai shouted, shaking his head, "YOU THINK YOU'RE SO SMART, HUH!?"

DJ nodded.

"SEE HOW SMART YOU ARE AFTER THIS!" Murai dart towards him, spinning his zanbato, "_FANG OF INARI!_"

The large man swung his zanbato hard, sending a wide arc of light flying through the air. DJ dove to the floor just as it passed over him and watched as the arc of light cut clean through the wall, soaring through the night air until it dissipated.

Whistling, DJ climbed to his feet, "Man, that was some move," he looked at Murai, "You know, I probably would've died from that if I let it hit me,"

"DJ-kun!"

He turned to see Dusty looking at him, tears welling up in her eyes.

_Dusty-chan?_

"DJ-kun, you can't keep doing this!" she cried tearfully, "Please, just leave while you can!"

Murai snorted and pointed his weapon at DJ, "It's too late, Dustine. He was foolish enough to come back a second time for you, he was foolish enough to challenge us again...he just can't leave like that,"

"DJ-kun, you can't win against these guys, even with a sword! Just back down, please, I'm begging you!"

"Dusty-chan," DJ looked at her, "Why are you staying with these bastards? You're part of our crew,"

"Was part of your crew," Murai corrected him, "She's happy here, aren't you, Dustine?"

Dusty was quiet and looked away.

"Dustine...you're happy here, aren't you? All your family is here, and it's good to be with family,"

DJ watched as Dusty closed her eyes and nodded her head slowly.

"Yes, Uncle Murai, I'm happy to be here. I don't want to leave...my family's here and I want to be with my family,"

Zev chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "See, boy? She's quite content here, so all this was for naught. You came all this way to free her, and it turns out that she didn't want to be freed at all!"

The musician looked long and hard at the fox-girl.

"You're all a bunch of liars,"

Zev raised an eyebrow, "Pardon?"

"I said that you're all a bunch of liars," DJ repeated, "I don't know why Dusty-chan is staying here, but I know her like the back of my hand. She would never want to stay in a place like this, she was terrified of this island when we first saw it! I know that her father was killed by you," he shot a glare at Zev, "I also know that while she was scared of this family, she wanted vengeance for her family. The only thing I can't figure out is why she's staying when she hates this family and this island so much, but I won't let her make a huge mistake like this. She's coming back home with me, back home to her real family!"

"DJ-kun, don't-,"

DJ turned around to face Murai, "Let me fight for you, Dusty-chan...I don't care if I die as a result of it, but as long as you are free of this nightmare, I'll die happy,"

The fox-girl stared at him, "DJ-kun...,"

"_Shinsoku batto: Panther Run!_" **(2)** DJ ran at Murai and drew his sword so quickly, a trail of light was left behind the blade. Seconds later, Murai's armor cracked and blood spurted from a large gash underneath the metal plating.

The large man cried out in pain, his free hand shooting to his bleeding side. He glared at DJ as blood oozed between his fingers, "Bastard!"

"You and your family have caused Dusty-chan to suffer and to live in fear for ten years. Because of you, she never grew up with a father. Because of you, she was always looking over her shoulder, scared that you would come for her. Because of you, she will not be able to achieve her dream," DJ held out his sword, "You've committed many crimes against this beautiful butterfly, you deserve the worst kind of punishment!"

Murai glared at him and lifted his zanbato, "We may have done things to this half-blooded abomination, but when this is over, the World Government will know that you and your pirate friends have done a greater evil...attacking an island allied with the greatest power in the world!"

DJ didn't even turn to look at him.

"What's wrong, kit got your tongue?"

"...abomination...,"

Murai gripped his zanbato tighter, "Stop mumbling!"

DJ slowly cracked his neck, "You called Dusty-chan...an abomination,"

"That's because she is! Her father, being the idiot he was, left our family and mixed our sacred, holy blood with that of a whore from the East Blue sea!"

The ittoryu swordsman slowly turned around and shot a glare at Murai. Dusty took one look at DJ's eyes and she almost messed herself. DJ had been mad before when someone insulted her, but this was something else entirely.

"An abomination and a whore...those words...," he shook his head and pointed Raikiri at him, "Punishment is due, Murai Wakanda, prepare to suffer! _Envoy of Inari: Phantom Fox Barrage!_" **(3)**

DJ vanished in a blur, only to reappear at different points on the room. Murai watched as he bounced around the room, gaining speed as he went. With each bounce, not only did DJ gain speed, but an afterimage of the musician swordsman appeared just behind him. Soon, the whole room was filled with blurry images of DJ.

Murai scoffed, "You, a common pirate, has the nerve to use Inari's name in this so-called attack? Only those of our blood have the right to use the goddess' name,"

"And who decides what is right and what is wrong, you and your family?!" DJ's voice echoed all around him, "I don't give a shit about you or what you think is right, Wakandas! All I care about is Dusty-chan's happiness!"

At that moment, Murai's body began to convulse violently as the sound of metal clanging filled the room. DJ appeared in front of Murai, kneeling with Raikiri held out to the side. The rest of Murai's armor crumbled into nothingness, revealing many new wounds under it.

Dusty gawked at the sight while Zev scowled. Murai, both surprised and wounded, stumbled around a bit, trying to stay on his feet as he waited for his senses to come back to normal.

When they did, Murai glared pure hatred at DJ and ran at him, gripping his zanbato so tightly, his knuckles were bone-white.

"DIE, PEASANT!"

DJ growled and turned to face him. Raikiri began to glow a bright red, as if it was heated by some invisible source. DJ twisted his hand around, spinning his sword around and around so much, it looked as though there were more than one heated blade in his hand.

"_Hiraishin: Sealing of the Six Tails!_" **(4)**

The young man shot forward and met Murai head on. As soon as he did, a bright flash filled the room, accompanied by a deafening boom, one that sounded like a thunderclap. Dusty wasn't sure if that was the storm outside, or if it was from DJ's sword, but when she looked up, she immediately forgot that small issue. She and Zev watched as Murai fell to the ground, not only covered in more gashes, but severe burn marks, smoke rising from his flesh.

"He...he did it...," Dusty gasped, "DJ-kun...won...!"

DJ slowly sheathed his katana, "That's for insulting the woman I love, bastard,"

* * *

**Kilnorc: -cracks neck- Well, the battle with DJ's new blade is over with, I hope it was good. I got the techniques for Murai from the same source as Lian's power, and I got DJ's techniques from DJ Macleod's creator, DJ Paynter.**

**(1) _Shinsoku Iai: Phantom Howling_ (Literally, _God-Speed Draw and Resheath technique, Phantom Howling_). The user draws their sword and sheathes it again at such a speed that it creates a shockwave that can damage objects within the radius and also disorient anyone's hearing or balance in a larger area**

**(2) _Shinsoku battô: Panther Run_: The user draws out their sword and quickly slashes the enemy, a basic battôjutsu technique incorporated with a quick slash.**

**(3) _Envoy of Inari: Phantom Fox Barrage_: The user rebounds off nearby surfaces at  
high speeds, creating afterimages of the user to surround the target before delivering many hard strikes to the opponent's body. (Similar to _Fox Fury_ of Dusty's and thus given a foxy name)**

**(4) _Hiraishin: Sealing of the Six Tails_: Based off the legend of the Tailed Beasts, Hiraishin meaning Flying Thunder God. The user moves their weapon so fast that it doesn't appear to be moving at all, but is still heating up to glow red because of the friction of the air. Once the weapon is red, it is rotated at such a speed that afterimages of the blade are created so that it appears to be more than one blade at once. The user then dashes forward, causing a flash similar to lightning and a sound similar to thunder because of the color and heat of the blade. The attack strikes an opponent many times in a split second, literally ripping an unguarded target to shreds and leaving burn marks and cuts wherever it strikes.**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**DJ: I'll take you on, Zev. I got through Murai without a scratch, I can handle you just as easily!**

**Zev: I am the strongest of our clan, boy. My kusarigama and my miko spells will kill you five times before you hit the ground.**

**Hiro: I've been waiting for this chance...you killed my nakama!**

**Zev: He was a fool. If he didn't defect from our clan, he would still be alive...it's his own fault.**

**Shattered Blood Part One  
**

**Dusty: YOU BASTARD!**


	27. Shattered Blood Part One

**Shattered Blood Part One  
**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**Kilnorc: Before I begin this chapter, I have a VERY important note to a certain reviewer. While the death of a nakama may show the crew that it's not all "scrape by with victory without loss", I do not have ANY plans whatsoever to do that. I'm sorry, but please stop suggesting I kill someone off, PARTICULARLY Niri. Niri is not only a _very_ important character, but if I were to kill her (which I won't) before she has a chance to set things right with the person who framed her, then there's no point for her to be in this fic series!**

* * *

"Geez...for a fish, you bleed a lot,"

Herman groaned as Carmen and Niri wrapped some torn cloth around him, making crude bandages around his wounds.

"Sorry for that, next time I'll tell my heart not to pump out so much blood," he muttered

"Is that sarcasm?" Niri asked, pausing in her bandagework.

"Sarcasm? Me? No...of course not-OW!"

"Sorry, hand slipped," Niri apologized as she finished her work, "Well, at least we're okay. I'm worried for DJ and the others, though,"

"Why would you be worried for him?"

"Well...Carmen, you wanna tell him or should I?"

"What's that? I can't hear you, I'm getting old,"

Niri facefaulted, _No you're not...you can hear me just fine!_

* * *

DJ turned and faced Zev, still holding Raikiri tight in his hand. Murai lay facedown on the floor nearby, blood pooling beneath him. The leader of the Wakanda clan looked at Murai, then at Dusty, then at DJ.

"You actually show some skill with a blade," he commented, "I'm impressed, especially since not one person has ever beaten Murai in combat,"

"What can I say, I'm full of surprises?" DJ shrugged and looked at Dusty, "Dusty-chan, please, get over here,"

Zev chuckled, "You still don't get it, do you? She doesn't want to leave,"

"Why's that?"

"Dustine, why don't you tell this young man why you can't...don't want to leave?"

The young fox-girl looked at him, then looked away, "I...I...,"

"Dusty-chan?"

"I can't leave this place. My mother is here, and I have to stay with her,"

DJ frowned, "Mother? Mother?" he shook his head, "Dusty-chan, I don't know what's going on in that head of yours, but you can't call any of these bastards family, even if-,"

"My _birth_ mother!" Dusty snapped, interrupting him.

"...what?"

Dusty sighed and closed her eyes, "My birth mother is locked up in this palace. Zev and the others tracked her down and kidnapped her. They said if I stay and do what they want, she will keep living,"

"So...you're...,"

"Yes. I'm staying for the sake of my mother's life," Dusty glared at him, "For the sake of your own life, you should've just run like I told you to, baka!"

DJ became silent.

Zev grinned wickedly, "Now, he has a forfeit life," he clicked his tongue, "To think, if you actually cared so much about Dustine, you would've listened to her advice and run off like a coward...just like her father,"

Dusty's eye twitched.

"Now, you'll die here," Zev reached behind him and pulled out the all too familiar kusarigama scythe that he used to beat DJ before, "This time I'll rip into your heart and pull it out with this,"

DJ slowly unsheathed Raikiri, "Fine. I'll take you on, Zev. I got through Murai without a scratch...I can handle you easily!"

_Especially since I know how that weapon works..._ he added mentally.

"That is unwise of you, boy," Zev held up his scythe, "I'm the strongest of our clan, boy. My kusarigama and miko spells will kill you five times before you even hit the ground. I'm faster and stronger than Murai, and I have a greater amount of miko energy and control over it than even my lovely wife, Lian,"

Dusty glanced at Zev, _He's not joking...ever since I said I'd stay here, they taught me a lot about miko stuff. Because of that, I can see his aura...it's friggin' huge! DJ-kun doesn't stand a chance against him!_

Zev noticed she was looking at him and smiled smugly, "You can tell, can't you Dustine? You can see the difference in our strength, hm?"

She looked away, becoming silent again.

"There you have it," Zev turned back to DJ, "Even Dustine knows my power is greater than yours,"

DJ wasn't even paying attention. He was too busy picking his ear. He looked at Zev, a bored look on his face, "You talk too much, loser,"

"We'll see who the loser is," Zev said pushing Dusty away roughly, "Give the men room to fight, Dustine,"

"Don't push her around!" DJ snapped at him.

"I'll do what I please," Zev shot back as he began to spin his scythe, "This is _my_ island, she is part of _my_ clan, I have _absolute_ authority here!"

"Not for long!"

The two men glared daggers at each other before dashing towards each other.

"YOU'RE DEAD BOY!"

"YOU FIRST, WAKANDA!"

As the two of them swung their weapons, something appeared between them. A loud clanging filled the air as their weapons clashed against another blade.

"You!"

"What're you doing here, old man?!"

Dusty stared, "Hiro...Hiro-san?!"

The older pirate lifted his head and glared at Zev, Murai's zanbato in his hands.

"Kid, this bastard's mine," Hiro growled, "Get Dusty and get out of here!"

"But-!"

"NOW!" Hiro shouted, "This guy deserves to die by my hand. He's killed nakama, and he's abducted the daughter of that nakama. I wouldn't be a very good friend if I didn't take care of her,"

DJ stared at him for a few moments, then nodded, darted over to Dusty, picked her up, and ran out of the room, the fox girl yelling as he ran.

Hiro smirked as the kids left. He gripped the borrowed zanbato, "I've been waiting for this chance...you killed my nakama! Ever since I came here, I've done everything in my power to make life miserable for you so that you'd beg for death...,"

"Beg for death?" Zev repeated, "Why would I beg for death? Despite the efforts of you and your so-called Freedom Fighters, my clan have lived very comfortable lives. We can do what we want and we are protected by the World Government. We're untouchable!"

"Is that so?" Hiro started pushing him back, "On my way here, I saw everyone of your clan out of commission, and you know who did all that? Dusty's nakama, those pirate rookies you captured earlier! They've taken out your clan, and now I'll take you out for Gonen!"

Zev glared at him as lightning flashed outside, the storm getting worse and worse.

"Gonen...he was a fool. If he didn't defect from our clan, he would still be alive," he grinned wickedly, still glaring at him, "...it's his own fault that he's dead! Now...you'll join him!"

* * *

"DJ-kun! Stop! Stop!"

The musician skidded to a halt and lowered Dusty to the floor, "What? We gotta get outta here!"

Dusty slugged him in the face, sending him to the floor, "YOU IDIOT!"

DJ rubbed his face and looked up at her, "D-Dusty-chan...,"

"I can't leave this place, don't you get it?!" she yelled, "If I leave this place, they will kill my mother, then they'll just hunt me down like they've always done! Except with the World Government on their side, it's gonna get worse and worse!" the fox-girl sank to her knees, tears rolling down her face, "My mother is all that I have left, DJ-kun...all that I have left of my family, my father! I can't let her die because of me!"

The hall became quiet, except for the storm outside and Dusty's crying. DJ reached out for her, but she just slapped it away.

"Just get out of here, DJ-kun," she sobbed, "Just get out of where while you still can, before he kills you! It's bad enough you guys came for me, but-," she was cut off when DJ lunged forward and embraced her deeply.

"I already said that I don't care," DJ whispered in her ear, "I don't care about these freaks. I only care about your happiness, Dusty-chan. I want to make you the happiest you can be, and if I have to make sure that those freaks won't come after you every again, to make you happy, then I'll do just that,"

Dusty's tears soaked his kimono, he could feel it.

"If you let these people take control now, you'll never be free, Dusty-chan. You will never again leave this island, you will never achieve your dreams, and you will never sail with your nakama again. I know that these things make you happy, not these freaks, and that is why I will not leave you!"

She gripped his clothes, "But...my mother...,"

"I think she's gonna be okay," DJ smiled, "Look behind you,"

Sniffing, Dusty lifted her head and turned to see her mother, as well as two other of her nakama walking up to the two of them.

"Mom!" Dusty shot up from the floor and ran over to her mother, practically tackling her to the floor.

Miki Wenata yelped and fell over as her pirate daughter glomped her, "Dusty...easy, I'm not up to my normal strength yet...,"

Dusty whimpered and squeezed.

"Don't worry," Miki smiled and patted the back of her daughter's head, "I'm alright. These boys came and saved me,"

DJ looked at both Axe, and Austin, who looked like he had just been kept in a barn. The cabin boy's body was covered with dirt, his hair matted together as a large bruise covered his left cheek.

"Where the hell have _you_ been?!" he asked, looking at Austin, "We've been looking for you and everything!"

Austin rolled his eyes and looked up at Axe.

The captain cracked his neck, "Funny story. I found this little passageway in the walls and...it's a friggin' maze! I walked around and found a whole bunch of kids in small cells guarded by soldiers. Austin was one of the kids, so naturally, I kicked their asses and freed every kid," he nodded to Miki, "On our way out, Austin led me down a tunnel that ended at a dead end. He pointed to the wall and I figured, what the hell, so I punched it and boom, and we found this woman in a private cell on the other side,"

Miki nodded, "They scared the hell out of me at first, but when they offered to help me, I took it. I was also amazed to see that this one," she pointed to Axe, "...was able to bend the bars of my cell like they were nothing!"

Axe grinned sheepishly, "Hey, what can I say, I dunno my own strength!"

_Yes, you do..._ Austin and DJ thought at the same time.

Miki looked at DJ, "Are you another one of my Dusty's friends?"

DJ nodded, "Yes, I am. My name is DJ Macleod,"

"Good to meet you, DJ Macleod," Miki looked down at her daughter and put her chin on the fox-girl's head, "Dusty, why are you crying?"

"Because...I...I...," Dusty sniffed loudly and looked up at her, a waterfall of tears flowing from her face, "I don't...I don't wanna...lose you! I don't wanna lose you...or anyone else...like I lost Daddy!"

Miki smiled slightly, "I'm not going anywhere, Dusty, I promise you. You won't lose me...and judging by what I've seen," she looked up at Axe and DJ, "You have very loyal friends, and just by looking at some of their strength...you won't be losing them either,"

Axe nodded and pounded his fists together, "Yosh! Dusty, remember Slayheim? We came for you and the others. I remember back in the East Blue, Devon and Kirsty came to save you from Dimitri before you were even crewmates!" he bent down and put his hand on the kitsune's head, "We are here for you, Dust...we're always here, and we always will be,"

Dusty sniffed again, "Y-You're not mad that I didn't tell you guys about this?"

He shook his head, "No, I'm not,"

"Even though we promised not to keep secrets from each other?"

"Kit, we all have things that we want to share and things we can't share," Axe looked right into her eyes, "If there's one thing I know, kit, is that we all have a certain amount of time given to each of us. While you cannot control what things come in your life, good or bad, all you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you. Do you want to spend the time in your life trying to achieve your dream, or do you want to be some clan's bitch?"

Before Dusty had a chance to answer, the wall at the end of the hall exploded and something flew at them. DJ shielded Dusty and her mother while Axe covered Austin from the flying debris.

"That...was a complete waste of my time!"

Dusty and Miki looked to see Zev walking towards them, spinning his kusarigama. They looked down and screamed when they saw Hiro laying on top and under the debris, a massive gash on his torso.

"Hiro-san!"

"Hiro!"

Axe knelt down and checked the bleeding man, "He's barely breathing! We gotta get him help now or he's gonna die,"

"Let him die," Zev cackled, "Anyone foolish enough to cross the path of the Wakanda clan deserves to die. Whether it be pirates or even family members," he shot a glance at Dusty and Miki, "My my...I wasn't expecting a mother-daughter reunion here. Nor...," he looked at Axe and Austin, "You two to be here...,"

"I love surprises," Axe murmured with a smirk.

Zev looked back at Dusty, who was being held protectively by her mother, "Come with me now, Dustine. It seems the clan is in need of some new blood,"

"She's not going anywhere with you, you bastard," Miki hissed, "You lay one hand on my daughter, and I swear I will kill you!"

"You're in no position to make threats," Zev wagged a finger, "Dustine, come with me now," he repeated.

Dusty looked long and hard at him, her cheeks stained with tear trails. Slowly, she reached up and pulled away her mother's arms, then rose to her feet, her eyes hidden by her bangs.

"Dusty!"

"Dusty-chan!"

Zev smiled and nodded approvingly, "Good girl,"

"Mom...DJ-kun...captain?"

They all looked at her.

"Leave,"

"What?!" DJ gawked, "No way!"

"Dusty, please, you don't have to do this!" Miki pleaded, "You don't!"

Axe raised an eyebrow.

"I don't want you to see what is about to happen here, so please, leave,"

Axe looked long and hard at her, then nodded, "Alright...we'll go,"

"WHAT?!" DJ and Miki stared, horrified, "ARE YOU INSANE?!"

"Nope, just horribly disturbed," Axe walked over, grabbed the two of them, as well as Hiro, and began running away, ignoring their protests and screams as Austin ran after them.

Zev walked over to Dusty and ran a finger along her face, "You've made the right decision, Dustine,"

"I know, I have...,"

"That's a good girl. They shouldn't see us making love for the sake of our clan,"

Dusty smirked, "Is that what you think I didn't want them to see?"

Zev frowned slightly, "Hm? What are you talking about? As a Wakanda-," he was cut off as Dusty grabbed his arm and threw him across the hall as hard as she could. The clan leader hit the floor and rolled a few times before coming to a stop.

"My name...is _not_ Wakanda," Dusty growled as she tore off the sleeves and longer portion of her kimono dress, "Never have been, never will,"

"Grr...," Zev climbed to his feet, a very annoyed look on his face, "So, you're still being stubborn? Fine, I don't have to have your consent to carry on our blood, I'll tie you down to the bed if I have to!"

"You will never have that chance," Dusty reached behind her back and pulled out her scythes, "My name is Dusty Wenata. My father was Gonen Wenata," she lifted her head and looked straight at Zev, "I am going to kill you!"

A chill ran down Zev's spine. Before, when he saw Dusty's aura, all he saw was a normal signature that his other family members had, but now...now it was like a giant flame that completely surrounded her. Then, there were those eyes of hers. Her eyes had changed to something that didn't look...human. They looked as though they were made of pure gold, but that was impossible.

With a loud growl, Dusty charged at Zev, her eyes locked onto him.

"Die! YOU BASTARD!"

* * *

**Kilnorc: Okay, I hope that was good. Bloodline's coming to an end folks! Let's hope this last fight is good! For my sake...lol. I would like to say once again to that certain reviewer, that I have no interest in killing off Niri or ANY of the Axe-Heads! So please, stop asking or suggesting it.**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Miki: How the hell could you just leave my daughter?!**

**Axe: This is her problem...her's alone.**

**Zev: Even with the basic miko skills my wife taught you, you have no chance of beating me!**

**Dusty: What I do with my life is my decision, no one else's!**

**Shattered Blood Part Two**

**Dusty: I've been wanting to use this set of techniques against you for so long, Zev!**


	28. Shattered Blood Part Two

**Shattered Blood Part Two  
**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**Dusty: Alright, time for my fight! I'm gonna win! BELIEVE IT!**

**Devon: -whaps over the head- WRONG ANIME!**

**Kilnorc: BIG NEWS EVERYONE! I JUST SOLD THE RIGHTS TO CotA TO 4Kids!**

**Fans and friends: -terrified screams-**

**Kilnorc: hehehe...just kidding. Happy April Fool's, everybody! -ish pummeled by fans and friends- ...was...worth...it...blah...**

* * *

As they proceeded to leave the palace, Axe and the others ran into Niri, Herman and Carmen, then as they left the grounds and entered the wilderness, they ran into the rest of their crew.

Axe gently lay Hiro down on the floor for Kirsty to tend to him, and as soon as his arms were free, Miki grabbed him by the jacket and shook him like crazy.

"How the hell could you just leave my daughter?!" she cried, "How could you!?"

Devon pointed to Miki, "Uhm...?"

"Dusty's mother," Chizuru and DJ said together.

"Ah...,"

"Answer me, you bastard, how could you just let her stay up there with that man?!" Miki demanded, not letting go of Axe's jacket.

The young pirate looked right at her, calmly took her hands and pulled them away from his clothing.

"Ms Wenata, I know this looks bad-,"

"No shit!"

"But, this is what she wanted,"

Miki gawked at him, "WHAT?!"

"This is her problem," Axe explained slowly, "...and hers alone,"

DJ looked back at the damaged building in the distance, "I think I get it now,"

"Macleod actually gets something?" Devon thought aloud, earning another slap upside the head from Kirsty, "Oi oi oi...,"

The musician ignored him and walked to Miki, "Miss Wenata, I believe my captain is right,"

"Then you're as stupid as he is!"

"FINALLY!" Devon clapped his hands together, "Someone agrees with me!"

As Kirsty hit him again, DJ shook his head, "Miss Wenata, I know what Dusty has been through," he looked down at Hiro as Kirsty started helping him again, "She wants to avenge her father and gain her freedom from these assholes so badly...,"

Devon crossed his arms, "She must hold such a hatred for this man, she would be willing to fight him, but only if you weren't around to see it,"

Miki glared at him, "But I'm her mother!"

"We know that," Axe said soothingly, "Believe it or not, I know where Dusty's coming from!"

Chizuru glanced at him briefly.

"I don't know what she's gonna do, but it's not gonna be pretty, Miss Wenata," DJ shook his head, "She must not have wanted us around to witness it-,"

"I _just_ said that!" Devon interrupted.

"Or she didn't want us around because she knew that with us around, we could be targeted and used against her,"

Miki looked at him, then at the ground, biting her lip.

* * *

"Miko Defense Spell, Level One!" Dusty's hands moved in a flurry of strange hand signs, "_Un-shi-basarito!_"

A dome of pink energy appeared around her just in time to deflect Zev's kusarigama, causing the scythe weapon to bounce off Dusty. Zev "hmphed" and pulled back his scythe.

"So, even though you've spent only a short amount of time with us, and an even shorter amount of time learning our miko magic from the family, you've memorized the basic defense spell,"

"That's not the only one!" Dusty shouted as she moved her hands around again, creating strange signs, "Miko Attack Spell, Level One! _Ma-chi-basara!_"

_So, she's able to do both of the easiest miko spells, both defensive and offensive?_ Zev wondered as pink energy gathered at Dusty's fingertips, _She **does** have our blood in her veins, so it shouldn't be that surprising. Still, even with that, there's no way that could have perfected them already!_

_The first spell..._ Dusty glared at Zev, _...kept me safe from his kusarigama, but I think he's just toying with me. He doesn't want to kill me, far from it, he wants to screw me and make this damned clan grow. I can't believe Daddy was even related to these motherhumpers._

"Eat this, Zev!" Dusty cried as the gathered energy in her fingertips shot outward in a beam of pink light.

_Too slow, even for a beginner!_ Zev sidestepped the attack, "Fool,"

The beam of light hit the wall and bounced back, hitting Dusty square in the chest, sending her flying into the wall behind her.

"Heh...foolish girl," Zev shook his head, "You can't even control that spell! Unless you have perfect concentration, it will always come back to bite you!"

_Man, wish I had known that..._ Dusty thought as she got back to her feet, _Still...I felt that power, it's not bad._

"You're a complex young woman, Dustine," Zev tilted his head, his kusarigama hanging to the side, "You say you hate our clan, hate us for what we do and we've done. Yet, despite your hate, you have no problem whatsoever using our power,"

"I have no problem using it against you," Dusty snapped, "Even if this power does belong to a family of assholes, I can use it anyway I want because I'm nothing like you freaks!"

Zev laughed, "Keep telling yourself that, Dustine. Even with the basic miko skills my wife taught you, you have no chance of beating me!"

"We'll see about that!"

"Indeed!" Zev held up and held out his kusarigama, "_He-bi-yo-no-inagaroyshi!"_

Dusty watched as pale blue energy coursed from Zev's hand and poured into the kusarigama, covering it completely.

"Aw man, what now?"

"You'll see...," Zev grinned, _I don't know what that was with her earlier, with her eyes turning gold and her aura growing to that incredible size, but since she's no longer in that state, this is my time to strike and teach her the ultimate lesson of obedience!_

Zev spun his kusarigama for a short time before hurling it outward towards Dusty. The fox-girl barely had time to dodge it, but she did manage to get out of the scythe weapon's path.

"Missed!" she taunted, pulling down an eyelid and sticking out her tongue.

"Did I?" Zev flicked his wrist and immediately, the scythe changed direction in mid-air and flew at Dusty again.

"What the hell?!" Dusty didn't have time to dodge this time. She took the attack in the shoulder and cried out, the curved scythe blade ripping into her kimono and flesh.

"Didn't miss that time!" Zev cackled, pulling the kusarigama back, causing the blade to cause more injury and pain to Dusty, "I bet you're wondering what just happened there, huh?"

Dusty winced and held her shoulder, "Maybe...,"

"I filled my kusarigama with my miko power and with it, I can control it anyway I want...sort of like a snaky scythe! Even if you elude me one time, I'll always get you a second time! That's how your friend Hiro lost our battle,"

-Flashback-

_Hiro _s_pun the zanbato around quickly, deflecting the incoming kusarigama, "It's gonna take more than that to take this old dog down, you bastard!"_

_Zev reeled back his weapon, "Hmph...so it would seem,"_

_"Damn right it would seem!" Hiro snapped at him, "For years, I've been hunting you down so I can kill you after what you did to Gonen! My nakama and Dusty's father was slain on that memorable day...one that I will never forget!"_

_"Heh...if you forgot, it wouldn't be memorable, now would it?" Zev said mockingly, "Besides, that loser traitor got what he deserved,"_

_Hiro glared at him, "Says the man allied with the World Government!"_

_Zev shrugged, "Well, you learn things in your travels. In fact, you're about to learn something new here and now!" he held out his arm and began to pour his miko energy into the blade._

_Unfortunately, Hiro wasn't able to see the energy and didn't know what he was up to._

_"Eat this, invader bastard!" Zev launched his kusarigama at him, "Die!"_

_Acting quickly, Hiro brought up the zanbato and swung hard, striking the scythe weapon. The kusarigama let out a ring and flew past him harmlessly._

_Zev smirked and flicked his wrist, "Ensare him!"_

_"Huh?" Hiro blinked in confusion just before the chain scythe wrapped around him completely, "What the?!"_

_"Now hold still while I tear you a new one!" Zev roared as he pulled hard on the kusarigama's chain._

_Hiro's chest was soon split apart like a piece of wood, his blood spraying outward, covering the floor in a rain of crimson._

-End Flashback-

Zev smiled, "With that wound...," he shook his head, "No way he will survive the rest of the night. He'll be dead by morning,"

Dusty glared at him, "I doubt that, asshole. You obviously don't know my doctor friend. She can heal anything on anybody! He'll make it...but you!" she pointed at him threateningly, "Will not!"

"Stop talking and start fighting, Dustine!"

"Stop calling me that!" Dusty screamed, dashing towards him with both scythes spinning, "JUST SHUT UP AND DIE!"

_C'mon, just a little closer...just get a little closer..._ Zev begged her.

_If I can get in just close enough, his dome won't work! He can't activate it if I'm already inside the dome's target area!_ Dusty thought as she increased her speed.

_Almost there..._

_Almost there! Just a little bit more!_

Zev suddenly snapped his arm upward,_ "Shin-do-he-kai-nu-a-qui-hosarako!"_

Dusty screeched to a halt, _What the-?!_

The clan leader's kusarigama flew through the air Zev, completely encircling his body with it's chain, his blue miko energy coursing through it the entire time.

Dammit... Dusty kicked off the ground and jumped back a fair distance, "What the hell is _that_?!"

Zev shook his head as the chain spun around him, "This, my lovely niece, is my own variation of the miko defense we both know. This one, however, works quite differently. Sure, it protects me as long as I feed my energy into it, but since it has a much smaller range, I can trick an enemy into thinking they can hit me when they're very close!" he grinned, "You fell for it,"

"Shut up!" Dusty growled, _But he's right, I did fall for it. Dammit, why didn't I see something was wrong? No way in hell Zev's gonna let me touch him, so why didn't I think he'd pull a move like that? What I don't get is how he's able to pull all those spells off without doing the hand gestures..._

"What are you thinking of, niece?"

Dusty snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him, the kusarigama's chain still circling him.

"Are you thinking 'Oh no, I can't beat him, I'll have to give up because it's the only way I can actually live!' or 'I wonder how my nakama are doing?'...," Zev grinned wickedly, "Which is it?"

"It's neither!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Dusty lowered her scythes, "I know that you don't want to kill me...that's the last thing you want to do. If I die, then all this shit you put yourself and everyone else through would've been for nothing. Also, I'm not worried for my nakama. My nakama are strong people, they have the same kind of strength that I remember seeing a long time ago...,"

Zev scoffed, "You're talking about Gonen,"

"Damn straight, I'm talking about my father!" Dusty snapped at him, "He was the strongest man I had met and he'll always be the strongest man to me! If he was brave enough to leave this island, go out into the world and pursue his own way of life, then he's got way more strength than the rest of the clan combined!"

Her uncle just glared at her.

That got to him... Dusty grinned, "That's right, you heard me, asshole! I don't care what kind of training you have, or what miko power you have in your blood, my father will _always_ have been stronger than you!"

Zev growled, "That's a load of shit...,"

"No, it's not!" Dusty shook her head, "You may have killed him, but my father was way stronger and will always be stronger! The Wakanda blood may run in my veins, but I deny it! The only blood running throughout my body belongs to Miki and Gonen Wenata and with their blood in my body, I have all the strength I need!" Dusty held up her hand, cracking her fingers loudly, "What I do with _my_ life is _my_ decision and no one else's!"

With that declaration, Dusty began to feel something stir within herself. It felt like a great burning, but instead of the scorching pain that burning brought, it was a type of warmth that she couldn't identify. All she knew...was that it felt great.

Zev stared at her. Once again, her pinkish aura began to grow to a large size, as if it were a raging inferno.

_Where the hell is she getting all this energy from?_ he wondered, _The only time I've seen this sort of energy signature was myself and Lian, but we're masters of our miko training and she's on the same level as an apprentice...so, what is giving her this power? There's no possible way our blood is doing this in her body!_

"Ever since you killed my father that day in the East Blue, I've been wanting to kill you, but I knew that I would never be able to do that unless I became strong. For years, people have only seen the lighter, happier side of Dusty Wenata, but hardly anyone seen the dead serious side of her. People know that I practice acrobatics, singing, and magic tricks to achieve my dream of being a great entertainer, but they don't know that I practice something else entirely!"

"Oh? Just what have you been practicing?"

Dusty grinned as her eyes began to switch from normal to gold yet again, "The ways I'm gonna kill you!"

_There are those eyes again!_ Zev grit his teeth, _Her eyes change to an inhuman state and her aura is unbelievable! What the hell is this girl?! What did the blood of that outsider whore do to her?_

"Do you know any stories outside of this island?" Dusty asked as her veins appeared on her limbs, "There are tales out there of people who have monsters deep inside themselves, and when they tap into that monster, they can possess strength greater than any normal humans!"

Zev scowled, "Freaks...,"

"Call them what you will, but I've seen these kind of people. I know at least a few people who have used this power. Everyone has a monster inside them, but only a few can use them. Well, guess what man...I am one those people!" Dusty dropped her scythes and her grin widened, showing large canine fangs, "I've been wanting to use this set of techniques against you for so long, Zev! I developed these moves just for this day, just for this fight!"

_Her aura keeps growing!_ Zev backed away, "What the hell...?!"

"Zev, prepare to go against my secret technique set!" Dusty took a stance as her pupils seemed to change into slits, "_Kyouran Kyuubi no Kitsune!_" **(1)**

* * *

**Kilnorc: Alright, alright, there's that chapter. Pretty sure that the last part of this thing is coming up in the next chapter, so bear with me folks. Now, I know that Dusty's aura thing, her DF, and her appearance is VERY VERY similiar to that of Naruto Uzamaki, but before any of ya'll gives me any potential crap about it, lemme explain!**

**Ahem. First off, I'm still very new to the idea of miko energy and aura and all that stuff, but I've seen in many anime that when pushed to the limit, characters with spiritual energy or something like that, can increase their power.**

**Secondly, I wasn't sure how the appearance would be for her in the technique set and the power increase would look like, so I winged it. Yes, I'll admit I used a bit of Naruto to help me out, but that's pretty much where it ends on my part.**

**Thirdly, the technique set is entirely the idea of Dusty's owner, Fire-Thief. Got any problems, take it up with her, but I think this could work, so I'll keep working on it because I do like a challenge.**

**Lastly, concerning the inner beast thing. A fellow author and friend of mine has a concept much like that so I thought that if he could work for him, maybe it could work for Dusty's Zoan thing.**

**(1) _Kyouran Kyuubi no Kitsune_ (Translated: _Fury of the Nine Tailed Fox_). Yes, I know the Naruto-ish thing, but again, it's not my doing.**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Kirsty: I can't believe what I'm feeling...this pressure...it's unreal!**

**Miki: Dusty, please, be careful!**

**Zev: It's not possible! You're only half-blood, you can't be this strong!**

**Dusty: I think I'll use the last technique...not a Rumble Ball, but it'll help rip this place apart with you in it just fine!**

**Shattered Blood Part Three**

**Zev: I WILL NOT DIE AT THE HANDS OF SOME HALF-BREED BITCH!!**


	29. Shattered Blood Part Three

**Shattered Blood Part Three  
**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**Kilnorc: Before I start, lemme say a few things. First off, guys, back off dark, alright? He explained to me, and I understood where he's coming from and he's apologized if he sounded pushy, so please, don't include that stuff in your reviews anymore.**

**Secondly, I would like to thank Crazy-Fishie and Rayo Verrani, because it's pretty much the both of them that helped me figure out Dusty's most twisted move yet. Guys, much love, much thanks, this chapter's dedicated to ya both!**

* * *

"_Kyouran Kyuubi no Kitsune?_"

"That's right," Dusty nodded, "I've been to a lot of places, and this island ain't the only one who has some major fox as a part of a legend. I heard one of a great monster, a fox with nine monstrous tails, a fox of such power, it rivals Inari. Now, I got nothing against Inari personally, but if the legends are true, than these should be just perfect against you, Zev!"

Zev frowned, "You think some moves you made based off a legend is going to be strong against one whose power is given by Inari herself!?"

"Yeah...," Dusty cracked her neck, her eyes never leaving Zev's, "I do!"

_This is unreal...her aura is like a wildfire and her eyes! Her eyes are that of a demon...looks like her whore mother tainted the holy blood within her so badly, she's reverted to this. What a shame._

Lightning flashed outside, filling the room with white momentarily. It gave Dusty an even more frightening appearance.

"Alright, Dustine," Zev lifted his kusarigama, "Show me what you got!"

"You want it? You got it!" Dusty placed a foot behind her, "_Kyouran Kyuubi no Kitsune: Ichibi!_" **(1)**

Zev watched as Dusty began to spin around at an amazingly high speed. Soon, she was nothing but a blur and the broken debris and dust around them was soon being pulled towards her. The clan leader even felt himself being drawn towards the spinning fox-girl, his feet sliding across the floor.

"Shit! What is this?" he growled and threw his kusarigama into a nearby wall and held on it. Good thing too, because seconds later, his entire body was lifted off the ground, the twister that Dusty was making growing stronger in gravitational force.

_She's actually made a mini-tornado, but how?!_

Zev watched as the debris that was sucked into the twister spun around the twisting kitsune girl, but as it did, the debris was being cut into pieces by an unseen force. It didn't last long, though, because after a short time, the wind began to die down, the tornado slowed down and Dusty was soon visible within the air current.

_Now what...?_

The tornado fully disappeared and the only thing that was left besides broken debris was a tipsy fox-girl, her eyes going around and around, her face turning green.

"Oh boy...," she stumbled around, "Dusty...dizzy!"

Zev facefaulted, _She's an idiot!_

* * *

_Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap_

Devon's eyebrow twitched.

_Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap_

"DJ...,"

_Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap_

"DJ! STOP THAT ANNOYING SHIT!" Devon, as well as a handful of his nakama screamed at the top of their lungs.

The musician, who was anxiously tapping his foot, stopped immediately and looked away, "Sorry, but I can't help it! I'm worried for her,"

"We all are, Deej," Herman folded his large arms and leaned against a tree, "But we can't do anything...," he glanced at Axe, "...right, Captain?"

Axe nodded, "Right, Herman. This is her fight, and we're not gonna interfere,"

Miki, who was wringing her hands like crazy, looked back at the palace of the Wakanda clan. She too, was worried for her daughter. There she was, fighting the man who killed her husband and had been hunting her down for ten years. She was worried sick.

_Dusty, please be careful!_ she pleaded, _Gonen, if you're watching, keep our little girl safe!_

* * *

_Okay, I gotta work on that,_ Dusty shook her head, trying to get her senses back, _That's gonna make me puke one of these days!_

"So, _that's_ your secret technique?"

As best she could, Dusty turned and looked at Zev, "No! That's just one of them! I got eight more, asshole!"

Zev laughed, "Are they all pointless like that last one?"

Dusty glared at him, "Shut up! I'll show you how pointless they are! _Kyouran Kyuubi no Kitsune: Nibi!_" **(2)**

_Now what is she up to?_ Zev wondered.

The fox-girl clenched a fist and punched the floor so hard, it made huge cracks in the wooden boards. The cracks were soon pounded on from beneath the floor itself.

_What in the world...?_ There's nothing under there!

Dusty looked up from the ground and grinned, "Meet my friends...,"

Zev watched as the source of the pounding was revealed. It was a group of rotting corpses! They rose up from beneath and climbed to their feet between Dusty and Zev.

_She can summon the undead?! Impossible!_ Zev gripped his kusarigama, "_Bu-ra-din-ki-yo-zu-bankainiwa!_". His blue miko energy coursed through his kusarigama again, but unlike the chain glowing or wrapping itself around him, the energy created two additional scythe blades.

Without hesitation, Zev attacked the group of zombies that stood between him and his niece.

"It'll take more than re-animated corpses to win this fight, Dustine!" he cried as he swung his enhanced weapon.

Dusty grinned, Fell for it!

Zev's kusarigama made contact with the undead...or so he thought. The glowing blades passed right through them as if they were nothing! Confused, Zev attacked again and again, but he kept missing them, though he did land every hit.

"What's going on here?!"

"A trick, that's what's going on!"

"Huh?!" Zev snapped his head around just in time to receive a hard kick to the face. The clan leader flew through the crowd of unharmed zombies into the wall behind him. He plowed right through the wall into the room behind it.

Dusty laughed as her zombie minions disappeared, "You actually thought I brought them here? Zev, I can't even get that penguin of ours to come over without fish to entice him!" she put a hand on her hip, "People call _me_ dumb,"

Zev flipped back onto his feet, his extra blades had disappeared. He cracked his neck as blood ran down the side of his head, "That's it! You need to be disciplined!"

"Yeah, yeah," Dusty waved him off, "Azu keeps saying I need to go over a knee and be spanked, but he' s pervert," she glanced at him, her eyes flashing gold again, "But you...are worse than him,"

"We'll see about that!" Zev concentrated and poured his miko energy into his weapon again, "_Bo-mu-ran-gi-sho-tandowanpo!_"

Dusty backed away slowly.

The clan leader wrapped the chains around his glowing kusarigama and threw it at her. Dusty watched as the scythe soared towards her, spinning like a boomerang. She grinned and ducked out of the way.

"Missed me again!" she laughed as she charged at him, claws jutting out of her fingers, "My turn!"

Zev smirked, "I didn't miss...,"

As she ran towards him, Dusty felt something pierce her back and came to a halt. Yelping, she tripped over herself and rolled along the floor before coming to a stop.

"Got ya,"

_What the hell?_ Dusty winced and looked down to see Zev's glowing scythe sticking out of her torso, "How...?"

"That's one of my many talents with a kusarigama," Zev explained, walking towards her, "By filling it with my energy, I can make it track any enemy relentlessly. You may have dodged it when it came from the front, but it came right back and nailed you," he stopped a short distance away from her, "I don't care what kind of 'secret techniques' you have up your sleeves, Dustine, you won't be able to beat me. No matter what kind of tricks you pull on me, no matter what spells you try, it won't make a difference! I am the head of our clan, the master of this island and I'm the one that holds your fate!"

Dusty slowly climbed to her knees and pushed herself up off the ground, "You know...I'm getting awfully sick of your shit!" she reached under herself and gripped the scythe weapon that was lodged inside her and pulled as hard as she could.

Zev stared, "You idiot! You'll kill yourself with that foolishness! You're no good to me dead!"

"Then you shouldn't have stabbed me with it, moron," Dusty hissed, tossing the weapon to the side, her blood dripping off the blade and chain, before rising to her feet, "Now, where were we? Oh yeah...now I remember! _Kyouran Kyuubi no Kitsune: Rokubi!_" **(3)**

* * *

Kirsty dropped to her knees, panting for breath.

"Kirsty!" Devon rushed to her side, "What's wrong?!"

"It's incredible!"

Devon looked at her, "What's going on?!"

"I can't believe what I'm feeling!" Kirsty gasped, her eyes wide, "...this pressure...it's unreal!" she turned to look back at the palace in the distance as lightning flashed around it, "It's familiar, but the only other times I felt this was at least back in Skypeia when...when I...,"

Axe frowned, "Something big is going down,"

* * *

Zev flew through the air and landed hard on his back, creating a decent sized crater in the floor. Blood spewed out of his mouth as a large, foot shaped bruise appeared on his stomach. Dusty landed on her feet and crouched down, "Not so tough anymore, huh?"

"It's...not possible...," Zev coughed, sending more blood out as he sat up, "It's not possible! You're only half-blood, you _can't_ be this strong!"

"Haven't you been listening to a word I've said?" Dusty asked, her eyes hidden by her hair, "Zev, the blood may give people certain powers, but it doesn't give them strength,"

"But you said-,"

"That's different," Dusty cut him off, "_Completely_ different!"

"How?!"

Dusty shook her head, "You don't deserve to know what I mean," she rose to her feet and looked around the room, "You know...ever since I came to this place, I wanted to see it get demolished, I wanted to see it burn. I think, that I've wasted enough time with you," she looked back at him, "I have many other techniques, but I think I'll use the last technique on you now...it's not a Rumble Ball, but it'll help rip this place apart with you in it just fine!"

Zev looked around and found his kusarigama nearby. As he reached out and snatched it, Dusty rose to full height, the veins in her limbs getting thicker, a deep growl in her throat.

"_Kyouran Kyuubi no Kitsune: Kyuubi!_" **(4)**

Dusty's body began to change almost immediately. Her muscles bulged, her hair stood on end, her nails grew, and she even grew a little bit. Zev stared at her in horror, "What...what the hell are you?!"

"What am I?" Dusty growled, her voice deeper and raspy, "Why, Uncle Zev...I'm your lovely niece, don't you recognize me?!" she lifted her head and immediately, Zev felt his heart stop. Her eyes were gold again, but they didn't change like before. They were pure gold, her pupils had become slits and had a feral look in them.

Dusty slowly advanced on him, and with every step she took, the floor broke to pieces her feet.

"I've waited for so long for this day, Uncle," she snarled, "For the day that I return the favor from that day you took my father's life away! An eye...for an eye!"

"I...I...," Zev stumbled back, holding his kusarigama at full length, "I WILL NOT DIE AT THE HANDS OF SOME HALF-BREED BITCH!" he screamed, "_Na-ku-ro-chi-ma-om-shi-zi-masaraguto!!_"

Zev poured every last bit of miko power he had left in his body into his kusarigama and held it tightly as the weapon itself grew to a length that was five times it's original size.

A deep, throaty laugh came from Dusty, the fox-girl never slowing down, "That won't stop me, Uncle...,"

With a battle-cry, Zev swung his massive weapon right at Dusty. The enlarged kusarigama wrapped itself around Dusty's body and the Zoan came to a halt almost instantly. Dusty looked down and looked at the chain.

"My ultimate attack!" Zev began to laugh maniacally, "No one's gotten free of it! NO ONE!"

"No one...," Dusty looked up at him and grinned, "...except me!"

With little difficulty, Dusty brought her arms upward, shattering the chain into hundreds of tiny pieces of metal and energy. Zev was speechless at the sight.

"It's...it's not possible...!" he stammered, "...you're...you're not human...not a human at all!"

"You're wrong again," Dusty started to move towards him again, "I am human. I do not kill those who think differently than I do. I do not hurt innocent people for their personal gain. I do not kill in cold blood!"

Zev backed away quickly, "That means you can't kill me!"

Dusty laughed, "No, I can kill you, you know why?" she lunged forward and grabbed Zev by his neck and hauled him a good five feet in the air, "I can kill you in order to bring my father and my mother peace. Now...scream for me, bitch!"

* * *

A very loud, blood-curdling scream echoed through the stormy night air, startling the group of pirates that were hidden away in the wilderness. Everyone looked at the palace, knowing that it had come from there.

"What...the fuck?" Devon's hands began to shake.

Everyone watched as the palace suddenly began to fall from the inside. The walls and the roof caved inward at different places, but in the end, the palace was obliterated and an inhuman howling filled the air.

Axe and Herman knew that sound very well. They remembered it from Isla Cadaver, before Slayheim, when Dusty turned Monster Point, but they couldn't see the beast from here, so there was no way she could've accessed that power.

Chizuru closed her eyes, "It's over...,"

Miki looked at her, then quickly turned back to look at the palace. Before anyone could stop her, she started running to the ruins in the distance.

"DUSTY!!"

* * *

**Kilnorc: Aw man -rubs eyes and cracks knuckles- Even with the new moves, this was a challenge. I do like a challenge, so with this, I hope I did it well...if not, I'm sorry, still getting used to all this. But, don't worry, in the future arcs, there'll be plenty more of this!**

**(1) I****chibi (One Tail): Dusty spins around rapidly until it looks like that there's a tornado in her place. The tornado sucks in opponent and they are left with multiple wounds. Drawback is that it makes Dusty very dizzy.**

**(2) Nibi (Two Tails): She punches the ground and uses her illusions to make it seem like the ground is cracked open and rotting corpses come out and attack her opponent. While they fight off the zombies, Dusty will usuallly use a suprise attack.**

**(3) ****Rokubi (Six Tails): Dusty kicks her opponent into the air and uses her illusions to make it seem like they were hit by lighting. The lighting is a distraction so that she can get up to her opponent and punch or kick them to the ground.**

**(4) Kyuubi (Nine Tails): The final stage of the attack. Dusty's eyes become gold and she attacks like a wild animal, almost like the 'Monster Form' of the Rumble Ball. Unlike Monster Point, though, Dusty is conscious of who she attacks.**

**On the next chapter of Bloodline...**

**Miki: My little girl...I can't believe she did that...**

**Kirsty: I dunno what happened, but her body is in bad shape!  
**

**Carmen: I'm getting way too old for this shit.  
**

**Herman: I was supposed to watch over them...I have to participate. **

**Epilogue: Bring Back Yesterday**

**Dusty: My heart hurts...it hurts so much!**


	30. Epilogue: Bring Back Yesterday

**Epilogue: Bring Back Yesterday**

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.**

**Kilnorc: The song in this chapter is from _Legend of Dragoon_. I felt it fits Dusty very well. I do not own it.**

* * *

The sun rose over the the crescent moon shaped mountain on Kinmotsu Island, the rays stretching over the forest, the city of Kinmo and the ruins of the palace that belonged to the Wakanda miko clan. Raindrops covered the grass and dripped off the leaves of the forest, giving the whole area a fresh smell. For an Autumn Island, it was surprisingly warm, even after a rainstorm like the one the night before.

Axe and Chizuru walked through the ruined remains of the palace, looking at the damage that had been done to it last night. Chizuru looked around for any survivors while Axe threw away the heavy stuff that blocked their way.

"Shit, man," the pirate wiped his chin, "I know Dusty could kick ass, but if she did do all this...,"

"She did," Chizuru said in a sure tone, "From what you told me, this looks like she went into Monster Point, but it's interesting how she did it when she didn't even have one Rumble Ball to eat," she looked around and walked towards what looked like a ruined study or library, "She did quite a number on this place...she must've really, really hated it,"

Axe nodded, "You heard her story. I would've done the same thing if I was in her shoes," he sighed and crouched down, reaching under a fallen beam, "In fact, I still do from time to time...ugh!"

Chizuru turned to see Axe pull out what looked like a mangled limb. An arm? A leg? She couldn't tell. All she could see was flesh, muscle, and bone, all of them looking like they were ripped or chewed on by something large.

"That's not very pleasant...,"

"You're telling me," Axe grimaced and threw the body part away, "I've seen a _lot_ of sick shit in my five years as a pirate, Chizuru, but I don't think I'll ever get used to that kinda stuff,"

"I don't blame you...I've seen what's in your head,"

"And you're still with me, that's impressive," he turned to his navigator, "Why didn't you leave when you had the chance?"

Chizuru smiled, "Captain...I have my own reasons for sticking with this crew. It's gonna take more than a group of monsters to scare me off,"

"...thanks, Chiz,"

"My pleasure,"

* * *

Later that afternoon, Miki and DJ sat by Dusty's sleeping body. The fox-girl lay quietly on a sleeping bag they had taken from the ship and made her as comfortable as possible. Kirsty finished her umpteenth checkup and sighed, shaking her head.

"Her body has gone through an intense amount of stress. I dunno what happened, but her body's in bad shape. Because of last night, she's gonna be sore for awhile. She's lucky I was able to make most of the pain go away with her injuries with my abilities, or she'd be worse off than she is now," she pulled the blanket up to her chin and double checked her pillow, "She just needs plenty of rest now,"

Miki looked long and hard at her daughter, then looked up at the large ruin in the distance, "My little girl...I can't believe she did that...,"

"Neither can I," DJ agreed, shaking his head, "From what Axe told me, the only things that were left of Zev were some random body parts," he glanced at Dusty, "She hated him so much for what he did, she ripped him to pieces. I didn't know she was capable of such rage...she was always so sweet and innocent. Ditzy, but sweet and innocent,"

Miki smiled, "She got that from me, I'm afraid,"

"Really, I hadn't noticed," Devon muttered from a nearby tree, chewing on a piece of meat, "Don't worry. The kit'll be up and as annoying as ever,"

"Oi oi...,"

Devon turned and nearly jumped when he saw Miki standing right in front of him, glaring daggers at him. She reached up, grabbed Devon by the cheeks and stretched them hard.

"Ow! Hey, leggo!"

Miki's eyebrow twitched as she pulled harder, "Do not...mock my...little girl...are you understanding me?!"

"Yeth!" Devon nodded quickly, "I ge' it! I'm thorry!"

"Good!" Miki released him and smiled brightly as he massaged his cheeks, "Now, thank you for being such a good friend to my daughter. Come here!" she suddenly wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug, "You're a good boy!"

Devon, unable to think about what to do, glanced at DJ, who was grinning from ear to ear. Clearly, the musician was enjoying this.

"You're dead," he mouthed.

A loud honking made Miki look to the side to see Pingu and Sora walking up to them, holding medical supplies for Dusty and Kirsty. Immediately, Miki's eyes lit up.

"KAWAII!" she quickly released Devon and pushed him into a large rock before running over to gush over the two animals.

DJ smiled and looked back at Dusty, "At least you're free, now Dusty-chan,"

"Don't...don't mind me...," Devon's muffled voice said from within the rock as he slowly slid to the ground, "Really...,"

* * *

A few days past since Dusty went on a rampage, and a lot of things had happened. Kinmo City had been completely deserted. The citizens left in a hurry when they found out a band of pirates took out their rulers. With the town deserted, the Axe-Heads and the Fish/Merpeople who waited in the waters outside the island used whatever resources they could find.

With Kirsty's skill, she mended the wounds of those injured during their time of captivity by the World Government. Even after all that though, they were still uneasy around them, despite Herman's relationship between the species.

The time for departure was coming and with Carmen's help, Niri and the others prepared the ship for the journey. While Azu worked on the repairs, the two thieves walked back and forth, storing food, water, all the necessary supplies for the trip.

Carmen sighed and took a seat on a nearby railing, "Man, I'm getting way too old for this shit,"

"Too old for being a thief?" Niri cracked, taking a seat across from her, "Who knew?"

"Hey, it happens," Carmen shrugged, "I think it's time I retire and enjoy what I have...tell ya the truth, running from the law has gotten kinda boring. Think it's time that some new blood carry on,"

"Is that supposed to mean something?" Niri asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe," Carmen pulled her red coat off and tossed it to Niri, "You hang onto that, alright? It's brought me some good luck in my endeavors, and judging from this bunch of whack-jobs, you're gonna need all the luck you can get!"

Niri caught the coat and scoffed, "How're you gonna live in retirement with that bounty on your head, Carmen?"

"I know some people who'll help me out," Carmen waved her off, "Besides, my debt to your old man is repaid,"

"It is?"

Carmen grinned, "I not only helped you out, but you're still alive, ain't ya? I think that makes us even...,"

Niri looked at her for awhile and grinned, tucking the coat under her arms, "Yeah, I think we're even...,"

"Good. By the way, I left something for you guys in the galley,"

"Hm?" Niri blinked a few times, "You did?"

Carmen nodded just as Herman climbed over the railing. Niri looked at her wet Fishman friend, "Hey, where you been?"

"I've been helping the others prepare the bodies of those Fishpeople and Merfolk who died during the raid,"

"Prepare?"

Herman nodded, "We're giving them a burial at sea. Though it would be more appropriate to bury them at their home, the stench would be too unbearable and they'd rot terribly before we got there, so we're gonna bury them in the ocean floor," he explained, pointing down.

Niri frowned, "Why do you have to do it?"

"I was supposed to watch over them," Herman sighed and shook his head, "I have to participate. I wasn't able to protect them in battle, so it's only proper I'm there to put them to rest,"

"Oh...okay," Niri climbed to her feet, "You gonna be okay?"

"Yes, I'll be fine," Herman patted her on the head, "You ain't coming either. For one thing, you can't breath and even if you could, the pressure down there would crush your human body like a twig,"

Niri stuck her tongue out at him, "Alright, if you say so...we'll be waiting for you to get back,"

"Thanks, because one of my greatest fears is that you guys leave without your chef," Herman said sarcastically before turning back to the ocean, "Well, here goes nothing...see ya'll in a bit!"

"Bye Herman!"

"Bye Red," Carmen waved as the Fish-Man jumped over the railing.

"He's not so bad,"

"Nope, not at all!

* * *

"Well, I'm glad you guys are okay,"

Kei and Hiro looked up as DJ walked towards them, still wearing the samurai garment and Raikiri at his hip.

The young man with the 3-ton cannon grinned and jerked a thumb to Hiro, who had a massive scar on his chest, "It'll take more than all that to take Hiro-san down! Ain't that right, Hiro-san?"

"Yeah," Hiro chuckled lightly, "It'll take more than that to bring this old dog down to his knees," he looked at DJ closely, "Is she still asleep?"

DJ shrugged, "I'm on my way there to see. I came to ask you guys something,"

"Hm?"

"What is it, kid?"

"Since the Wakanda's are taken care of, what will you guys do now?"

Hiro sighed and leaned back, "I dunno, to tell you the truth. Zev's dead, Gonen's been avenged, and both Miki and Dusty are safe...," he shook his head, "I don't know where to go from here,"

Kei turned to him, "Hiro-san, since the Wakanda's aren't here anymore, why don't we just settle here and make the island better!?" he offered, excitement clearly evident in his voice.

The older man looked at him, "How would it look, Kei? Dusty's mother is the ex-wife and mother of a pirate, I'm a pirate, and you're formerly a pirate...if we settle down here, we're gonna have the Government on our asses like stink on a warthog,"

"Or stupidity on Macleod," Devon threw in as he walked by, having heard that particular part of the conversation.

DJ's eyebrow twitched, but he ignored the Demon King. He scratched his head, "Well...what are you gonna do?"

Hiro shrugged, "I'd like to get Miki back home to the East Blue. I'm sure she misses her home after being kidnapped by her husband's relatives," he rubbed his chin, "Maybe I should settle down with her. You know, just look after her and stuff. Either that," he looked at Kei again, "...maybe I can go back home to my island. You're welcome to come with me, Kei,"

The boy's eyes widened, "You mean...adopt me?"

"If you want,"

Kei blinked a few times, "Uh...wow, I dunno...,"

"Hey, um, while you two figure this out," DJ clapped his hands and backed away, "I'm gonna check on Dusty-chan and Miki, okay? Buh-bye!"

Leaving the two of them alone, DJ walked back to where Dusty and Miki were last. It had been a few days, but Dusty still hadn't woken up. DJ knew she was strong, but he couldn't help but feel worried for her. As he neared his destination, he heard a beautiful sound float through the air.

_"I had a dream that I could fly  
I can feel each moment  
As time goes buy_

_We'd never be too far away  
You would always be here  
I heard you say_

_I never thought  
Thought that it would be our last goodbye  
I still can dream  
That one day love will fall out from the sky_

_Do you still remember  
All the time that has gone by  
Do you still believe that  
Love can fall out from the sky_

_If from where you're standing  
You can see the sky above  
I'll be waiting for you  
If you still believe in love_

_Find a way  
To bring back yesterday  
Find a way to love_

_I hope you'll stay  
When tomorrow becomes today  
Love will find a way_

_I'll be waiting for you  
In my heart you are the one  
If I cannot find you  
I will look up to the sun_

_If from where you're standing  
You can see the sky above  
I'll be waiting for you  
If you still believe in love..."_

Walking closer to the source, DJ found Dusty sitting on one of the many boulders that littered the forest. She still wore some bandages and she still had a tired look in her eyes, but she was awake and as beautiful as ever.

She stopped singing and turned to him, "Hi, DJ-kun,"

"I'm glad to see you're awake, Dusty-chan," DJ greeted, walking up to her boulder, "How are you feeling?"

Dusty yawned, "Still a little tired, and as hungry as hell, but I'll be okay. You?"

"I'm fine, now that you're fine," he hopped onto the boulder, "We're all ready to leave, we're just waiting for the captain to say go for it,"

"That's good...," Dusty looked up at the palace ruins in the distance, "DJ-kun, do you hate me? For what I did to him?"

DJ looked at her, surprised, but shook his head and smiled, "I could never hate you, Dusty-chan. I love you...ever since that night at Whiskey Peak, I've loved you,"

Dusty smiled, "My knight in shining armor came and saved me from Dimitri and Katt," she reached over and placed her hand on his, "Happened again, but this time, I got a samurai," she looked at his clothes, "Where'd you get those, anyway?"

"Same place where I got _Raikiri_," he pointed tot he crescent moon mountain, "Among the traps, there were some storage spaces filled with old clothes and rotten food. I thought I'd try something new, so I picked out one that fit,"

"That's good...," Dusty whispered, her hand going to her chest, tears forming in her eyes.

"Dusty-chan, what's wrong?"

"My heart hurts...it hurts so much!"

DJ began to panic, "Oh my god! Hang on, I'll go get Kirsty-san!"

Dusty laughed a little, "It's not that, DJ-kun,"

"Then what is it?"

"I think...," Dusty sniffed a little, "I think that it hurts because there's so much joy replacing the heartbreak and pain I suffered these past ten years," she looked at him, "I wouldn't have this joy if it wasn't for you and the others, DJ-kun," she leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips, "Thank you,"

DJ was greatly surprised, but he happily returned the kiss. As the two of them kissed, a light rain fell from the sky above them. Dusty broke the kiss and looked up, "There are no clouds,"

DJ looked up to see that she was right. Rain was pouring from the sky, but there wasn't a rain cloud in the sky. He smiled, "The Grand Line...strange as hell, huh?"

"Yeah," Dusty looked back at him, "What do you think they call this?"

"Hmm," DJ's eyes went all around for a few moments, "I dunno...but how about we call it a sunshower?" he suggested.

"Sunshower...," Dusty nodded slowly, "Perfect!"

The two of them kissed again as Miki watched from behind a large tree, accompanied by Austin, Devon, and Kirsty.

"Aw...that's so sweet!" Kirsty and Miki cooed.

Devon rolled his eyes and turned away, "He better protect her well...otherwise I'm gonna take that sword and shove it up his-,"

"Devon!"

"What?"

* * *

It was finally time to leave the island. The Log Pose was set, Dusty was free, and the undersea funeral was over. There was no reason to stay anymore. After finding and repairing a leftover vessel from Kinmo, Carmen, Kei, Hiro and Miki were ready to sail for their next destination. Kei wasn't sure if he was going to stay in the Grand Line or go home with Miki and Hiro, and Carmen was ready to retire peacefully with what treasures she had stolen in the past.

Miki and Hiro gave Dusty a large hug each. Dusty sniffed and wiped her eyes, "I'm gonna miss you guys...,"

"We know, honey," Miki smiled a teary smile, "We're going to miss you, too,"

"Damn straight, kiddo," Hiro agreed, "You did good, Dusty. I'm sure ol' Gonen is smiling down on you right now after what you did. Now, I think he can rest in peace,"

"I hope so," Dusty sniffed loudly, "I miss him so much,"

"We all do," Miki's own tears began to flow down her face, "Listen to me, sweetie. You've made us both so proud! You found yourself a great group of friends, a very good man to look after you-,"

"Macleod is not a man, he's a wuss!" Devon yelled from behind Dusty.

Miki glared at him and continued, "You don't have to worry about me or Hiro, alright? We'll be just fine, so you go on and work towards your dream. Be like your father and never give up! One day, the name Dusty Wenata is gonna be famous all over the world. Your picture-,"

"Or poster, it depends," Hiro interjected.

"...is gonna be everywhere, and I'm sure that people would line up just to see you perform," Miki picked Dusty up and squeezed her tightly in a large hug, "You have my blessing on your journey and on your choice of a man!"

"Mommy...I can't...breathe!"

After a tearful, but joyful goodbye, the two ships parted ways. Hiro and Miki went in one direction while the Axe-Heads moved in the other direction. Dusty and DJ waved goodbye to them until they were out of their line of sight. Dusty sighed and leaned her head on DJ's shoulders.

"So, what do we do now, DJ-kun?" she asked quietly.

"Whatever you wanna do, Dusty-chan," he whispered back, putting his head on hers, "Whatever you wanna do...,"

On the other boat, Carmen sat against the railing, looking at the picture she had kept in her coat. Before giving that coat to Niri, she pocketed the picture into her pants to keep it safe. She looked at it longingly, a smile crossing her face. A tear rolled down her face as she stared at Niri's father.

"She's doing well. Our little girl is following in both our footsteps,"

Carmen Isabela-Zolaro sighed, pocketed the picture and looked up at the sky, the ocean wind blowing her black hair to the side.

"Good luck, Niri,"

* * *

Somewhere in the Grand Line, word had gotten out about Kinmotsu Island and the fall of the Wakanda clan. Nearby Marine bases talked about the group of pirates who took down the ancient clan of mikos. Even old acquaintances of the Axe-Heads heard about the incident.

Captains Glenn and Ichi, along with Commander Ashley Ukita stood in the barracks of the new Marine base they were assigned to. They had all healed nicely from the Slayheim Insurrection, but the pirates were still fresh in their memories. Now, they (except Ichi), were looking at the latest bounty posters that were issued the day before.

**WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE  
Niri Zolaro  
Reward: 57,000,000 Beli**

**WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE  
Azu "Dizzy" Baba  
Reward: 59,000,000 Beli**

**WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE  
"Crimson Claw Herman"  
Reward: 63,000,000 Beli**

**WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE  
Chizuru Ukita  
Reward: 41,000,000 Beli**

**WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE  
"Phantom Samurai DJ"  
Reward: 62,000,000 Beli**

**WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE  
Dustine "Dusty" Wenata aka "Fox Dust"  
Reward: 130,000,000**

"Man, Chizuru's got an increase," Ash tapped the poster with his finger, "She's making quite an impression,"

Glenn laughed, "Not only that," he held up DJ's poster, "That Macleod kid's not only got a bounty and an alias, but he's got a new look! Who knew samurai still lived in this day and age?"

Ichi growled.

"Once these get released to the public," Ash shook his head, "She and her crew are gonna be bigger targets,"

"They won't be released to the public, Ashley,"

The three men turned to the sound of a new voice. Standing in the barrack's doorway was a beautiful woman with dark skin, dressed in white clothing. She was beautiful, but she had some odd features: a large scar that ran from the bottom of her left eye to her chin (or so it looked), and they couldn't be sure, but she looked as though she was wearing a swan on top of her head.

"Can we help you?" Glenn asked, adjusting his bucket hat, "Miss...?"

"_Admiral_," the woman walked into the room, "Admiral Gintori,"

Immediately, all three men saluted her.

"Hm," Gintori quickly returned the salute and pointed to the posters they were holding, "As I said, we're not releasing those posters,"

Ash frowned, "How come?"

Gintori looked at him and pulled the papers away, "The Government has it's reasons, Ashley...," she trailed off and looked at Chizuru's poster, "Ukita?" she looked back at him, "This is...your daughter?"

Ash nodded slowly.

"Heh," Gintori shook her head, "It must be really painful for you to know that you failed so miserably as a father. I mean, what kind of Marine allows his daughter to become a pirate?"

The Commander's eyebrow twitched.

"I'm sorry, Admiral," Glenn cleared his throat, "But can you actually hold the release of bounty posters?"

"As an Admiral, I have the power to do many things," Gintori fingered a Golden Den Den Mushi that hung around her neck and looked at him, "I am following orders from the top and those orders are to stop the release of these posters for now. The World Government is very interested in this group of pirates, as well as certain other crews,"

The three men went quiet.

Gintori looked at them, clicked her tongue, turned and walked out of the barracks.

Ash growled and snapped his neck, "That woman...she's lucky,"

"Actually, you are the one whose lucky," Ichi tapped him with his shikomizue blade, "Admirals are very powerful people, Ukita, so it was best not to anger her,"

Glenn nodded, "Not only that, but the Golden Den Den Mushi she wore has the power to call a Buster Call. I doubt she'd actually use it against people for angering her, but judging from the vibe I got from her, it's better to be safe than sorry,"

Ash calmed down and sat down on his cot, "I don't care if they are pirates...Chizuru better be careful. If she keeps this up, even I won't be able to help her,"

**The End**

* * *

**Kilnorc: Yosh! Bloodline is over with! I bet you all are going WTF at Carmen's true relationship. Easy answer to most of your questions...she lied! Mwahaha, makes sense though, huh? Anyhoo, time for the most important thing I have to tell you. The next fic is another joint adventure of Axe-Heads and Straw Hats and MANY people have been looking forward to it for a looong time. That's right, it's Water 7/Enies Lobby time, boys and girls! Action, drama, and secrets abound in the upcoming installment of the Crew of the Axe series.** **After 2 years and 6 fanfics, I WILL reveal the biggest secret of them all!**

**Axe's full name.**

**Read and review, and don't just put in OMG AXE'S NAME in the review!**


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